Convalescence
by Liliath
Summary: The coitus wasn't meant to be, not at all sweet; Sasuke has all of Naruto, Naruto all of Sasuke. But they're not ready. They start at the end and old wounds can't be mended yet. Tis a twisted tale that yearns for a happy ending. Heavy shounen-ai.
1. Chapter 1

Convalescence, Chapter one

_The failed re-union_

**Disclaimer: **The characters, story and other elements belong to their rightful owner, Kishimoto Masashi. I gain no profit from writing and publishing this on the Internet.

**Full summary:** The 4th Ninja war came to a stop when the united ninja forces brought down their greatest foes, Uchiha Madara and Kabuto, the shining Kyuubi container, Uzumaki Naruto, the leading force behind the final strike. Following their victory, unconscious, Uchiha Sasuke was taken to Konoha where he was put on trial for his crimes, yet under the threat of the world finding out of the conspiracy against the Uchiha, and with the discovery he had never acted on his vengeance against Konoha, he was freed. Left to roam the city, his status returned to him, but ANBU guarding over him day and night, Uchiha Sasuke again became a citizen of Konoha; suspicious, deemed highly dangerous, a potential threat, but one easily handled by his ex-teammate, ex-best friend and the person to have ultimately defeated him, Uzumaki Naruto. He was to assimilate. It would have been perfect. A slow process to span over years, but perfect, fruitful.

Only… No-one could have known what Sasuke and Naruto really were and what they would do each other under the weight of their worlds crashing down on them.

**Rating:** M as mature for sexual themes, violence, blood. Heavy shounen-ai, slash, eventual… We'll see if eventual SasuNaru or corpse-slash-corpse-in-mass-grave-because-they-killed-each-other.

**Warning:** Don't read if easily squeamish or if you're not mature yet to handle mature topics such as sex and… That strange sex they had. I'm saying it now – **no rape**. Just sex. Which makes they had even worse. There will be swearing, HEAVY shounen-ai and much twisted stuff not suitable for children or those weak of mind. You have been warned.

* * *

><p>The Kyuubi in him growled in dismay, clawed at his mind. The Kyuubi in him failed to get through, failed to do much.<p>

On his body new were formed, and the chakra healed them one by one, too slow, however, to heal them all, to heal all as they formed; one over another, layered, thick, creating a coating of pain and agony.

His clothing torn struggled to contain all he suffered, ripped to shreds as well, completely torn, patches of red revealed as the material folded aside.

Occasionally, a sound ripped through the surroundings, reeking of pleasure and_ like,_ yet put out by either the next moment, because it wasn't meant to signalize a thing, not meant to mean anything, just their consensual agreement to create further spite and undermine, and underestimate and simply brutalize.

His hands balled into fists, ripping into his flesh, red chakra enveloping his figure for a moment to claw the hands and teeth the mouth.

A growl was heard. Dimly, it echoed around the dusty emptiness of the house.

He struggled, back arched, pain residing in his body – along with disgust.

The other man, on his face – a similar bundle of self-hate.

He wanted to move, to escape, instead – he buried his claws-no, nails, those shaped like claws – into the ground, but he was dragged and moved in different ways, turned around and rammed into – _hard._

Further his back arched, shoulders hunched together in help, claws leaving the ground to see it scarred, deep trails left behind, splinters flying in the air. In the corners of his eyes, wetness gathered. Like a man, he swallowed hard and pushed them back, blues directed briefly at the ceiling – before falling on _Him._

_He_ who continued to glare, stare and hate, who wouldn't stop and got paid back, claws soon seeking his back and shredding His attire as well, the material roughly shredded, a quick, relentless rape. Then they dug into his flesh, almost touched bone.

All to inflict more pain, to hide his own and to persuade himself not to ever empathize, to feel sorry for himself or Him, but to hate this and shove aside any spur of an emotion, anything that could be lead to them – liking it.

They weren't doing it out of like. It was all but like. They'd not almost made the building collapse because of like, had not attacked each other physically and mentally for like. They'd not left wet, red smudges on the doors and the floor for the purpose of like, had not creased all furniture with sweat and blood for LIKE.

Because in the Uchiha district, in one of the abandoned houses not ready to collapse, walls cracked, floor littered with craters and blood splatter all around, in the deep, eerie silence of the place left to rot, surrounded by dust and creaking age as well, Naruto and Sasuke were having a dirty and warped fuck.

Sasuke's lips parted – a spasm ticked through his features, eyes narrowed, droplets of sweat falling down his cheeks, but then he failed and a choked gasp escaped past his lips.

Naruto closed his eyes, the red chakra subsiding, mellowed out and placated to a harmless degree.

Inside him, movement that threatened to overtake him, something akin to a _like_ twisting in his guts, and he threw his head back, teeth tightly clenched over his lips, drawing blood. A shiver went down his spine and his muscles retracted, legs squatted, and body fought for one last time, before-

-a soft sigh was heard and Naruto, against his wishes, opened his eyes to look Sasuke directly in the face, to hold his glare for a moment. In the charcoal hues, there was disgust, there was revolt, there was pity and something like horror, and there was fear, most of all, just that fear.

Moments later, the feelings intensified, sending tremors through their bodies, reaching a peak that curled their fingers and curled their thoughts, that froze the time and then, after seconds, it was over.

Above him, Sasuke shook, features clenched tight, and he tried to hold himself up, both hands by Naruto's head, but he swallowed a gasp and fell down, impacting with Naruto's chest, before sliding himself up until his gasps resonated right by Naruto's earlobe.

Blankly, entire body going into a shock, Naruto stared ahead.

He could hear each and every thought, each and every sound, feel each and every thing.

Half-naked, sweaty, drenched in blood and disgust, they remained in that position, Sasuke between his legs, chests heaving, minds enraptured by fright and eyes suddenly – just stuck. Stuck at that moment when a realization hit them – that nothing in the world could properly project in them what they felt.

Nothing could depict this moment.

In the pit of Naruto's stomach, all its contents rose. He felt with every cell in him the body that lay on top of him, felt the heat and the rocking shivers, the dampness and the humidity that continued to increase, and the breaths shallow emitted in short intervals echoing in this ominous darkness.

In the lieu of this discovery, their worlds would collapse.

Naruto turned his head to the side, feeling Sasuke's warm breath prickling the hair on the back of his neck.

In Konoha, Uchiha district, a lone building second in the third row of entirely identical houses, floor, night, the weight of this act hit them both, dropping the bomb on their lives.

_What have we done?_

* * *

><p><em>Naruto bit on his thumb, teeth grazing over the flesh. Apparently, Sasuke was being a good lad, staying mostly in the Uchiha districts even after two weeks and making any need for guards small. However, the Konoha council, baa-chan and people in general weren't stupid; while he may have been pardoned, the political trial disputed for the suspicion of Konoha's bad laundry getting around, no-one really believed Sasuke had become a law-abiding citizen. He was too quiet, too lone a ranger to be considered a part of their community, and the war had left them suspicious of another treason on his side. Naruto understood this made the convalescence a tiny bit too difficult, but he also didn't blame anyone for assuming this stance; he'd dragged the man back, defeated, unconscious, promises of all being alright being muttered to and fro in the man's ears the whole time, but the subliminal messages hadn't gotten through; released at last, considered a vital threat to any country and a burden to bear, Sasuke was the sore thumb and the last straw and while glanced seldom, most feared the obvious – the storm was coming. <em>

_The calm had arrived weeks ago, now they were awaiting the worst. If no-one spoke to him, if no-one elicited a reaction from him other than a disgruntled groan and an indisputable proof of hatred presented via a seething glare of ice, he'd be… Disposed of. Quietly, in the fashion so reminiscent of the way Konoha had handled the Uchiha's planned __coup d'état__. Sasuke had to know that as well. Had to, because disregarding all that people believed and knew, he was still a genius. Insanity might have been the constant threat, the swinging axe suspended above their heads, but no-one could deny how quick-minded he was, how sharp his mind. _

_Above all, Naruto feared this; he feared that Sasuke would wait for the moment they struck so he could pardon his hatred for everyone and launch an attack, bringing down the whole of Konoha in a singed highway to hell. And eventually, what it all boiled down to was no-one's willingness to engage him in any kind of conversation, the muted representation of his thoughts far too dark and sinister for most to handle. After all, that was why even Kakashi rather went on missions and helped around, why he finally admitted out loud that the sight of Sasuke equaled to stabbing himself in the foot with own mistakes and he'd rather not look at someone whom he'd failed this much… Really, he just needed time, just as Sakura did, just as everyone did… Just as Sasuke did, no matter how hard he fought this reality._

_Naruto frowned. Crouched on one of the roofs, moon behind his back, he surveyed the surroundings, the idea of switching into Sage mode to find Sasuke's chakra signature tempting him for a bit, but then something alerted him and he stood up just as by his side three people materialized, two of whom had masks covering their faces._

_With scrutiny, they surveyed him, before the unmasked one pointed a finger at one of the houses. "Second house, third row. He was last seen entering that building."_

_Naruto blinked, following the finger with his eyes, eventually coming onto a house. Not for a moment did he consider how the man had known of his purpose. "Oh… There," he said, scrunching up his nose and squatting down again, hands on his knees and the slanted roof attempting to shake them all off. _

_The man's impassive face neared Naruto's. "You're going to speak to him?"_

"_Yeah," he nodded. "I mean… I have to. Kind of. Also… I want to. It's still Sasuke."_

"_He's a threat," said the man._

_Naruto shook his head. "I know." And narrowed his eyes at the house, as if suspecting the topic of their discussion to poke his head out. "What's he doing there?"_

"_Probably the same thing he does in any of those houses."_

"_What?"_

"_Nothing."_

_Naruto stared at the man, before it hit him. Humorless, his smile. "Right. He broods in them."_

_The man's dispassionate features were hit with concern, molding them into worry. "Naruto... Are you sure this is a good idea?"_

_Mildly amused, Naruto shrugged. "Don't worry about me, Yamato-taichou."_

_Brushed off, Yamato leaned back, the other two ANBU guards standing by his either side; they'd been positioned to stand guard for tonight, and Naruto knew they liked it as much as the killing that was a part of their job._

"_It isn't the most sensible option, you know," said Yamato slowly, prompting a snort from Naruto._

"_Nupe, but it is still Sasuke. I'll go talk sense into him."_

"_And if he doesn't listen?"_

"_Simple, I'll beat it into him." _

_Yamato grimaced. "Naruto… That isn't wise. Sasuke is very strong."_

"_I've defeated him once."_

"_Yes, I know, we all do, and under that pretense you're allowed to enter and leave the district at own will, Hokaga-sama's orders, but another victory could cost you your life."_

_Naruto made a grimace, staring the house down rather than look at the man; the night was hot, but Yamato's words – cold. "I know. But I gotta, you know? I bring him back and then? Then I disappear from his sight. It's not fair. We're going to talk. I don't care what I have to do to get him talking, but if it's beat the crap out of him, then so be it." With a rueful grin, he waddled to the edge of the roof. "Don't interfere, alright?"_

"_We have orders not to," muttered Yamato under his breath, frustration mingling with his tone. "The whole country now understands that getting between you two is futile; you will still do whatever you want…" Unwillingly, the man backed away. _

_Naruto felt guilty. "Where are you going now?" he asked but got only a mild shake of Yamato's head. "Right," he grumbled. Secrets. _

_Yamato looked apologetic. "You're to keep a guard over Sasuke for tonight. Our teams are too busy, we can't spare another and there's still too much work to be done. This country needs as much help as necessary… By Hokage-sama's orders, you're to remain with Uchiha Sasuke for tonight, but you're strictly forbidden from initiating direct contact with him."_

_Everyone present knew – he'd defy that order._

_Naruto gave him a toothy grin. "It's whole he's a ticking bomb thing, eh? I can handle him."_

_Though the other two might have worn masks, Naruto could feel their dismay. _

_Yamato's face was overcome with worry. "Just… Be careful, Naruto. Don't do anything stupid."_

_All Naruto could do was give him a nod he hoped looked reassuring, before the company parted and he was left on his own again. _

_Laconic in his expressions, Naruto gave a wan smile, before doing that exact thing he'd been advised against; he jumped off the roof and with certainty walked towards the house. Not knowing what to expect, he saw no reason in fearing it, walking thus without any pretenses and dire needs for over-reacting, calm, severely so in so many strange and miraculous ways. The door parted, giving leeway to the world he'd never touched, to the house ready to collapse and breathing age and dust. _

_He walked on blindly, not knowing the layout of the place, following instinct instead and the driving force behind this, maybe, wrong step – the heart._

_Down a long hallway, don't look left or right, don't be distracted, turn left and into a large room with a window just recently barred. The other stood next to it was still free any of restrains, unless, of course, He counted._

_He, Sasuke, stood in front of it. From this angle, Naruto could tell he had a clear view on the whole street and on the house he'd spoken to Yamato on as well. _

_So he'd seen them._

_A few steps in, additional distance between them removed and he was in close proximity to him, as close as he could get without getting bitten. _

_Sasuke, acknowledging his presence, turned his head sidewards, expression a stone frozen, a story erased._

_In Naruto's ribcage, the heart trembled. "Sasuke…"_

_Nothing. No continuation of that unfinished thought. Yet, reaction arrived nonetheless as by fraction Sasuke's eyes narrowed. At once, Naruto felt angry._

"_I came to talk."_

_Sasuke turned to him. "Disappear, Naruto."_

"_No."_

"_Where are the guards? Left." Sasuke's cool voice like a curse pierced the air. "They think only you can handle me, right?"_

_Naruto lowered his head, eyes dimmed by the light in the room and turned silver staring the other down. "There's no need to be hostile with me. Sasuke, there's no need to be hostile any longer. You are home."_

_Another reaction. Sasuke made a step in his direction. Proposing a challenge. "Home?" It came out as a curse. "I have no home."_

"_You have nowhere else."_

"_No reason to leave, no reason to stay," hissed the man._

_Naruto resisted the urge to wince; truth hurt. "Konoha is your home now. People welcomed you."_

"_Does it this work out for you, Naruto? Lying this much? Completely deluding yourself?" He scoffed. "Do me a favor, Naruto, and keep these delusions to yourself."_

_With difficulty, Naruto controlled his anger; for weeks he'd waited for this moment, knowing well it wouldn't go well, and he'd known all along as well it could all boil down to a moment when all repressed emotions would reach the surface. Maybe that was why he'd come to Tsunade himself, informed her of his plan to visit Sasuke, making sure she would indulge his suicidal tendencies and arranged a change of guards. Easily, she'd been persuaded, because easily she believed only he could really handle Sasuke at his current state and get something out of him. Only, Naruto had not expected himself to get this furious. "I'm not delusional," he said through gritted teeth, scoffing himself and making a step forward to mirror Sasuke. "Sasuke, this is your home. You know what Itachi-"-he'd only thought to mention the dead man walking who had shown during the last battle and broken Sasuke's resort at the very last moment, but Sasuke-_

_-rounded on him, shaking from rage. "__**Naruto**__… Don't think you have the right to bring up nii-san." Narrow space separated them. Between them, the air sizzled. Naruto saw the situation had taken a turn for the worst, but he couldn't leave, not when he knew the very act would be the true last straw._

"_I leave and then what, Sasuke? What will you do if I walk out the door now?"_

"_What, Naruto, would you be somehow inclined to believe it would matter to me?"_

_Naruto growled, lifting a hand to curl it around Sasuke's top. "Sasuke, I'm your friend."_

_Sasuke belched and retaliated, curling his around Naruto's shirt as well. "You're the tie I severed. Why don't you get it through your thick skull? I don't need you, Naruto, __**now disappear from my sight.**__"_

_He shoved him away. Naruto staggered on his feet and narrowed his eyes. "No."_

_Sasuke didn't move._

_Naruto swallowed a strange urge to cry. Or, maybe, rip out his heart. "No. I won't leave. I never left you. I won't do it now. You're back. Physically so far, I know that, Sasuke, I do. But you can come back completely. You have people who care for you."_

_Sasuke's lips spread into a smirk. "Who would that be, Naruto? Not you, no?"_

_Naruto stood his ground, emotions worn on his sleeve. "You're my most cherished person."_

_At once, Sasuke's entire demeanor suffered through a change, a certain mad hysteria and grief gripping his features and making him shake from rage where he stood._

"_Your… Cherished person… I had one, only one cherished person in my life and that person was forced to commit mass murder, to discard his life and become hated… I have lost this person eight years ago, Naruto, and that person is not you…"_

_Naruto's anger lessened, the blood in his veins ceasing to boil. "Itachi, eh? Still Itachi… What, Sasuke, do you think I'm not honoring his memory? Or that you aren't? There's no shame in admitting you need someone."_

_Sasuke's shaking worsened. "There's no admitting involved. I don't need you."_

_Still, Naruto couldn't give up. He threw his arms around, frustration growing, and made a step forward – it was too late to notice the wince or the killing intent, too late to act on any preservation instinct, too late to really care for own life at that moment. "Sasuke, stop it! You're still destroying yourself, you're still trying to be an avenger. You're no longer an avenger, Sasuke, the path doesn't exist. You can live a normal life…"_

"_By your side, Naruto?"_

_It was sealing the fate._

_Next thing Naruto knew was the red alarm in his head going off and his body trying to budge, rooted to the spot only because of his obstinacy, and then he was sent flying to the opposite end of the room. Hard, his body hit the wall, then impacted with a dresser, then the ground. He wheezed, breathed hard, gathered himself up._

_Like a statue Sasuke stood in front of him, still stuck in the same position with his hand outstretched and fist clenched. Naruto felt an ache in his stomach and the tissue repairing itself, and felt a desire to pummel this stubborn asshole to the ground. _

_Slowly, he stood to his feet, each movement followed by a wince and additional, required repression of his anger. "Sasuke… stop it."_

_It had the opposite effect._

_Sasuke attacked him, too quick, too nimble, becoming a blur that had Naruto in the air and thrown on the ground again – followed by a punch to his heart. He gasped out, pain rocking through his body, and the repression failing, failing so hard._

"_I don't want to fight you!" he screamed out, despaired and pleading, but Sasuke was now crouched above him, his fist still buried in Naruto's chest and his eyes-_

_-burning with hate. "Of course, Naruto, because it's always about what you want. What YOU want for yourself, you selfish little prick. You don't understand a thing, a thing, A THING AND YOU-"_

_-Naruto croaked meekly, his fingers curling around Sasuke's wrist and forcing it away. A contest of strength ensued, both applying equal force, otherwise motionless, stuck in the strange position and the hate growing so strong, too strong, too much…_

_Wrath._

_He saw red. "Me… Me? Me? Isn't it the other way around, Sasuke?" he asked, voice trembling, entire body shunning Sasuke away and then pulling him right back, a strange attraction drawn between, created from this brawl; he didn't know, didn't understand, but fighting was the only thing they could do, were willing to do and it-filled him._

_-it broke him as well._

_He threw Sasuke away and was on his feet the next moment. "YOU always thought about yourself, Sasuke. YOU always did! Always wallowing in self-pity. You HAD people, you HAD everyone, everyone willing to be with you, by your side."_

_Sasuke landed on his feet gracefully like a cat, a certain deadly elegance in how he straightened himself up. "Fake people lusting after the Uchiha name, that's all. Do you think Kakashi was ever interested in me as a person? No, Naruto. Still a fool. It was all about power. Always about power. The Uchiha name is such a pretty accessory, after all." His voice came in low, dramatic whisper._

_Before Naruto knew it, he was striking Sasuke, exchanging blows with him – each one dodged, each followed by another, each met with the other's fist until-_

_-he faltered in his resolve, still gripping tightly onto reality and Sasuke sent a strong jab in his side that broke a rib and elicited – a sound of protest from him. He fell on the ground, kneeled before him._

_Sasuke laughed, melodic, mellifluous in his insanity and self-hate. "Is that it, Naruto? Is that everything?"_

_Naruto's eyes looked at the ground between Sasuke's feet, at his shadow that seemed to be assuming a form of the Devil himself and inside his stomach – something cried. Cried so hard, so very hard. From the corner of his lips, something dripped… Blood. Blood had been drawn. He grimaced, resisting hard, hoping to retain his humanity, but this rage he felt was primal and real, making him shake with so much that he felt, so much-_

"_Idiot."_

_Sasuke's kick sent him flying away again-_

_-a surge of chakra enveloped his figure, halting his fall mid-way, body twisted to land steadily on both feet._

_A twitch. Another. Frame slouched over, hair disheveled and face gathering the creases, the many wrinkles of this reality, Naruto looked up._

"_You're such a hypocrite, Sasuke… I never wanted you as my friend because of your name. You being Uchiha meant nothing to me. I wanted you – because of who you really were. That, using your logic, should make me a pliant companion, someone suitable of being near you, right?" Mockery tainted his voice._

_Opposite of him, Sasuke's eyes only further narrowed, bleeding red from the wretched eye jutsu that soon obscured his rational mind. "You want to be around me… Want to be my friend because who I am really am… __**You're a fool, Naruto**__." There was such resentment in the words only – that the air between them nearly exploded on itself. Instead, it swam like a mirage on a desert. "You want this? This, this…" Like a madman, Sasuke touched his own eyes, those that reeked of power so great legions had fallen before him, and his features contorted greatly, no semblance to a man remaining. "Fine… Let me give THIS ALL to you then… NARUTO!"_

_He charged._

_Naruto charged as well._

_In that small, cramped room, they charged at each other and met half-way through, bodies clashing, not restrained at all even if the walls creaked with dismay and croaked from pain, even if the floor under their feet shook. They circled, danced around each other and first there was despair that Naruto felt, despair that came with each hit that landed and each bruise created, and then-liberation. Sickening, brutal and grieving liberation._

_He was free. He was freed of all… And could fight his best, dearest friend…_

_Numerous times he hit the wall and the ground, and numerous times he returned the favor, ramming Sasuke against the ceiling for a change because, hey, that needed some re-decorating as well. Suddenly, the room felt crowded, like there were many of them exchanging blows, fighting this hard, this vicious, this bad – drawing more blood when in reality no weapons were used. No kunai made appearance. Nothing but hands. With hands that scraped and maimed, with hands that made him want to curl into a ball and cry himself to his last day on earth, because this was so wrong, so wrong, so wrong-_

_-Sasuke drenched his attack in a syrup of chakra. For a moment, Naruto froze, body stuck midway through to slamming into Sasuke's, and he looked down, eyes wide, before – his back exploded._

_With a blood-curling scream, he fell down, the back turned into a battlefield, ragged pieces of clothing dangling where a shirt had existed, doing a pathetic job of covering the red marks forming there and leaking blood-_

-I'm not waiting to get hit again, you-"_TEME!"_

_The teachings of Asuma came to him, producing a nice, vivid image of what he wanted to do and for once all obeyed, promoting greater allegiance with madness. Blue chakra hugged his hand, distorted around the edges first before tentatively forming a blade. Sasuke, being this close, had the time to escape. Instead, he remained where he stood, maybe shocked or something else, and Naruto rose to his feet with a sudden lurch of his body upwards-and Sasuke tried to dodge at the very last moment, sending a kick to Naruto's chest but too late, too late._

_The chakra blade cut through Sasuke's clothing, making a clean line starting at his hip and landing at the shoulder blade and Naruto's body AGAIN hit the wall before toppling towards the ground. On both the ground and wall – a red smudge remained._

_Quickly, he sought Sasuke with his eyes, ignoring the throbbing of his body-and Sasuke was bending over, blood seeping through his fingers as he had one hand pressed to his stomach. They weren't using their full strength. If so, the whole building would have collapsed by now along with the entirety of the district. But they were using the full strength of their emotions and it wrecked them._

_It wrought through Naruto as he crawled on all fours towards Sasuke, as he attempted to stand up and Sasuke hit the ground and they stared each other down, before using a combined force of will and need to stand again and fervently continue to attack each other. The building shook – the windows exploded and Sasuke gathered a fistful of shards from his body and Naruto saw another smudge on the wall. And then blood splatter. It was too fast, this intense, hate-filled display of pathetic cries and need…_

_Lying on the ground, he inched to sit up-_

_-suddenly Sasuke's bloodied hand pressed against his chest forced him down and he gasped out. Then Sasuke was on top of him and Naruto's eyes snapped open, feeling something strange-_

_-he was lying between his legs._

_Okay, that is-terror. TERROR. "Sasuke-" _

"_You WANT this, NARUTO." _

_He was grabbed, a hand twisting in his hair and forcing his head back. Another hand pressed around his jugular, suffocating him-but he stopped Sasuke because he didn't wish to die, and he growled and spat from the fury he felt and red chakra in a thin sheen layered his body, leaving a burned hand imprint around Sasuke's arm._

_The man hissed and drew back but didn't move far away, lifting his upper body on his hands and staring down at Naruto through the dark strands that were glued to his face and otherwise messy and going to all different sides, left to right and up to down in a state disorderly and perfectly Sasuke-like._

_Naruto furrowed his brows, struggling against the exhaustion but he couldn't get up, couldn't-his hands fall back, and he lay there, eagle-like, ethereal._

_Sasuke moved._

"_You want this, Naruto… You think you're suitable for me, then? As my friend, as my everything? You think it, Naruto…"_

_Don't swallow, don't gulp._

_Naruto's eyes rested on Sasuke's. "Yes."_

_Sasuke smirked, insane, frustrated, driven to the edge. "Yes… Yes."_

_He tugged at his pants._

_Naruto helped him._

_It was a fight, another fight, yet another physicality they needed, and he arched his back off the ground as he tried to close his legs and Sasuke forced them open for him, as he nestled himself comfortably, almost comfortably, like a lover, right between, their bodies so close and the heats weaved together through and though._

_In the pit of his stomach, Naruto felt disgust. Eyes that were like cat's bore into Sasuke's. His hands shot out to hold Sasuke in one place-"Yes. Sasuke. I __**am**__ suitable. I know it's me. At the moment, no-one but me."_

"_All of me, Naruto. Fine. Have __**all**__ of me." Like a beast prowling in the shadows and awaiting its moment of bloodied rise, Sasuke struck, fingers digging into Naruto's shirt and ripping it with such need and frustration, as if digging for a treasure chest to hold his freedom. Was there any? Was he ever to live in freedom?_

_Fear rocked through Naruto's body, as feral as the need to continue and fight. One hand slipped down to curl around the hem of the other's pants-he didn't know why, really-and Sasuke acted, pushing Naruto's pants down, the delicate structure of the tanned hips revealed, the tummy cute and unmarred as well-_

_-Naruto groaned-and clamped his mouth shut._

_A moment of silence, the challenge raised-_

_-he gulped, quirked a dirty eyebrow at him, smiled a rueful, spiteful smile, too deep in this sea to ever re-surface-"Only I can have all of you, Sasuke. _Give me everything that you are."

_Everything._

_So much pain, so much agony, so much confusion that which gripped him, that which he felt at that moment as his clothing was raped on its way down, as Sasuke's left and as only rags remained, as they struggled on the ground as they fought-as he tried to crawl away-_

_-as he felt HIM _inside.

_He wished to scream, wished to cry but it wouldn't let him, wouldn't let any tear be spilled. There was a moment, yet another one, when things stalled, when it dawned on them but it was too late. In vain, he tried to flee, in vain he used advantage of the situation and turned, in vain for Sasuke snapped and held him close in such an embrace Naruto almost… ALMOST… willed it loving._

_Willed it full of nothing but love, for the despair with which Sasuke clung onto him, with which he was forced to remain in place as different reactions – as myriads of amok thoughts in speedy, turbulent torrents exploited all of him- all of him to Sasuke, all of Sasuke to him... It really was too late. _

_Sensations of like – but like wasn't welcomed… Sensations of want, but wanton fight was what this all was about. _

_His grip on reality lessened, he was turned on his back again and looked through, inspected and observed with the same self-hate that he for himself felt. He and Sasuke stared at each other, a waft of their past memories turning all colors to grayscale until in this stark, ravenous state, they continued their sweet, painful and horrific twisted love-making, until they couldn't even remember how it'd happened and when it'd started, only that, at one point or another…_

_The world stopped._

* * *

><p>"Yamato-taichou."<p>

"Yes, I know, I'll be a moment. Just one look to make sure nothing happened," he whispered urgently. Somehow, he was shaking all over, somehow, he was led to believe the whole night hadn't gone well and their first meeting ended in bloodshed, but he was keen on the thought of being just a doubter for once, since Naruto had a way with words, had a way with people… He wouldn't fall so easily into Sasuke's rift of hatred.

Nonetheless, he hastened in his step, coming upon the house bathed in the early morning sun. His senses were telling him the place was devoid of life, its two occupants having left hours ago, but needed one peek, one small glimpse of the place to see no traps set off, no spikes, no lethal snares… Should the place retain its normalcy they'd felt upon their departure, he'd believe nothing had transpired, but then-the stench hit his nose and his heart dropped.

He followed the smell, seeing the rooms all around barren and dusty, until around the corner, in a room with a direct view on the street, he saw the signs of a fight and smudges of red all around and-

-"Yamato-taichou, there is blo-_what the_."

An ANBU stood behind him, observing this macabre show, only the mask protecting the horror-struck face from the world. "I just received a report saying Uchiha Sasuke is in his old house. Uzumaki Naruto is home. Should we… report this to Hokage-sama?"

"Yes-no…" Yamato averted his eyes from the mess. They'd fought then. Both survived. But this… disarray…Every inch of the room bore a sense of wrongness to it; he was certain then both had escaped from this encounter left relatively intact, safe for a need to see a medic nin that came naturally with both, but it felt as if the room spoke of other horrors, other sinister deeds and Yamato in his years had not felt something this strong.

Fear-stricken, he backed out, face composed only via years of expertise, and he shook his head. "I'll go find Naruto."

"They had a fight," said the guard.

Yamato couldn't agree. "Hokage-sama expected something like this but-I need to see for myself."

He didn't wait. An answer probably never arrived. He sped towards the small apartment in the middle of the city housing the Kyuubi container, suppressing an urge to fly across the sky and blare of an impending doom and death. Soon, maybe too soon, with barely a second line of sun rays bathing the city on its warmth, he entered through the window that was open, jumping directly into the place that-

-showed signs of nothing strange.

At once, he halted, confusion gnawing at his thought. The mess was in order and as per usual, and there was the distinct smell of fresh-made ramen – probably placed on the kitchen table next to a glass of milk, the courtesy of Naruto's bad habits – but still Yamato couldn't shake it off, couldn't make sense of this, seeing demons around corners even of logic spoke of angels.

"Yamato-taichou?"

Sharply, he looked to his right to see Naruto's-

-battered, sullen, dainty and frowning form in the bathroom room, with the bruises healing and cuts sealing and the eyes so large and spooked, so very confused, frame so lost in the clothing he wore.

On Yamato's shoulders, the entire weight of the world was dropped. Hastily, he stalked towards the young man. "Naruto, what happened? That whole building is-"

"I did something stupid, taichou…"

He froze, staring at Naruto, wide-eyed. In the boy's blues, he sensed fear and he sensed something akin to hatred; they were, as of this moment, officially haunted.

Naruto looked right through him. "I tried to talk to Sasuke. It didn't… go... We had a fight. I…"

"Did he say something to you? Did he-?" Did he what? Naruto was a man now. A grown-up. But the sight of him, the sight of him sporting this look-Yamato's blood turned ice.

Afterwards, he was given a description non-existent, told only of a fight and exhibition of hate Sasuke was famed for, before he was haunted as well, leaving the place with fabricated reassurance and muddled thoughts. He left the apartment, he did, reporting to Tsunade of the fight she, too, had expected, confirming their belief that Sasuke needed to go. They questioned who would let Naruto know, not paying attention to Naruto's state – deeming it, after all, the very result of the fight and whatever Sasuke had said to him, however he'd broken his heart, which alone was deserving of a greatest punish ever – but then there came a report of Uchiha Sasuke leaving the district, of Uchiha Sasuke roaming the streets, buying stuff and… Being a citizen of Konoha. For the first time since. They didn't know what tremendous whispers Sasuke and Naruto had shared, didn't know… Nothing.

Uchiha Sasuke was back…

The world as they knew it stopped to exist.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Good, bad? There was no rape… I'd never write rape… Although, I admit – it does look like one. I don't know, really… I had an idea and thought to write it down in my spare time, having already finished other things, so… if this gets enough response, I'll continue this and see if Sasuke and Naruto go somewhere or wind up killing each other. I mean, honestly- start something having sex? You know, that's not always the answer… Less alone in this case… Mhm.

Leave your reviews, thoughts, just, really, don't forget/don't be lazy to review to let me know what you think and if I should continue this or not! (:

Lils~


	2. Chapter 2

Convalescence, Chapter two

_The meaning of a name_

It wasn't a bad idea, per se, to start the day off with thinking, but it was a bad idea to start it off with thinking after a night spent awake and in the presence of people who didn't appreciate his dull, uncharacteristic and wrongly timed silence. As such, Sakura, being the person to embrace her violent, over-zealous side, was not happy with Naruto that particular morning.

"Naruto," she said, voice measured, leveled, but still cracking from suppressed anger. "I swear, this is the third time in the past ten minutes that you've zoned out on me. Do it again and I _will crush you_."

Around the room, an uncomfortable silence settled.

Kakashi, Sai, Tsunade and Shizune all faked interest in the window, perfectly oblivious to the demonic aura enveloping Sakura's figure and Naruto's bewildered face.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, there's no need-"

At once, she had him in her grasp, fingers curled around his clothing-"Naruto, I swear to god-"

Thinking.

There were good moments for thinking, bad moments for thinking. Right now, it was the latter. Yet as he was held firmly by Sakura, yet as her face neared, veins popping all around her forehead and her expression scrunching up beyond her recognition-

-he saw _Him_. And the-

Silence.

Sakura looked surprised. Shocked, even if that term pointed to an actual medical condition, exaggerated to a point where people easily related it to a strong feeling of surprise. Then she was letting him go, the corners of her lips tugged at by a strange force, hesitation in the way she drew back and discomfort on her features.

Naruto stared at her and relaxed.

Then, the whole room was staring at him and he – understood.

The news of his fight with Sasuke had spread throughout the whole of Konoha over night. The news of Sasuke appearing on the streets and assuming the given title of a citizen had spread within an hour.

Naruto, maybe fortunately or unfortunately, didn't know what to do with that. In the middle of Tsunade's office he stood, a part of him perplexed, the other in denial, and under their questioning, pallid stares, he felt – naked. Stripped, like that-

-he coughed.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan."

Sakura blinked, stunned, but quickly she regained her composure. "Che! Whatever."

The briefing continued. Next to him, Sai gave him a strange look but it was his lack of expertise in this area that forbade him from understanding and Kakashi was quick to consider this an aftereffect of his fight with Sasuke. All in all, they were happy to conclude his tendency to demolish things whenever in Sasuke's vicinity to be at fault for this. And the wounds they'd given each other had yet to heal as well.

Tsunade's tremendous, drawn out sigh echoed around the room. "As I was saying before Naruto zoned out on us…" There she took an opportunity to throw Naruto a pointed look, who stared right back, obstinate. "The reconstructions are going well. All nations have suffered greatly from the war, but there have been no signs of Madara's followers. It appears the man really did consider himself above all… It's almost troubling to think he was powerful enough to dismiss keeping anyone to continue his legacy, but it's his arrogance that led to his downfall." She heaved out another sigh, this time the idea of any second Madara-clone with as much power and knowledge parading around the cause behind it. Somehow, however, even with the gravity of the present times affecting all, Naruto couldn't find it in him to connect; it felt as though he were surveying this situation through magnifying glass, no relation whatsoever to the tiny human-bugs crawling around, trying to salvage their homeworld.

He felt… Out of this world. Since last night, the foreboding, desolate feeling in his chest had not disappeared; in the close proximity to these people, he felt as if he were soiling them.

Kakashi put away his favorite Icha-Icha Paradise book and shrugged. "There is only as much as we can do about it. The borders are secured. We're receiving help from other countries as well and there hasn't been a greater bidding for missions than now."

"Exactly," agreed Tsunade, voice grim and tired. "We can't spare more ninja, however, we have our own worries at the moment. We need to train new ninja as fast as possible."

"Surely," interjected Kakashi. "Not at the expense of quality, right?"

She grimaced. "Hopefully not. Naruto, a decision has been reached."

At once, all eyes turned to him again.

Naruto's lower lip curled over the upper. "What?"

Tsunade's lips turned into a half-smile, half-smirk and she reached for a document on the table which had received little to no attention so far, handing it to him. Suspicious, Naruto took it, opened it on the first page to see an old picture of him taken in his genin days; seeing the painted face and ridiculous puerile antics brought a smile to his face.

Sheepish he grinned. "Aw, man, good ol' times, baa-chan."

A tick went through her features. This time, however, she didn't fight the title. "Observant as per usual, I see. Naruto, maybe you should take a look at your rank."

"Rank?" He did so, finding the column detailing his missions, achievements and current status-

-his heart skipped a beat.

"Chuunin? I've been promoted to a chuunin?"

Tsunade smiled. "Well, I'd hoped for a jounin. Your powers exceed all our expectations of a chuunin anyway, but it was decided to wait at least a while and see you settle into your new duties. Now, I'm hoping you don't mind this new promotion. Sakura, as well."

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a look, pondering what his promotion had to do with her, before Sakura paled and she reached for another file placed on Tsunade's desk, opening it to reveal-

"I've been promoted to a jounin."

Naruto gawked at her, redness rising to his cheeks. "Sakura-chan, that's fantastic! We've both been promoted!"

Speechless, she could only smile, eyes wide and posture surprised. "Y-yes… Shishou, are you… Sure?"

Tsunade muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like "as if you didn't deserve it" before leaning back, heartiness emanating from her in comforting, lulling waves. Next to her, Shizune was grinning.

"You both deserve it, Sakura, Naruto. You've proven yourselves deserving of the promotion and all the new responsibilities that come with it. Naruto, I'll have Shikamaru brief you on your new duties, or, maybe, Sakura would like to have the pleasure."

Naruto gave her a wolfish grin, excitement rocking through his body. All thoughts of bad and wrong and misplaced had gone and mirthful his eyes were, twinkling at Tsunade, laugh lines on his face. "Man, I'm finally a chuunin, and I didn't even have to take the stupid exams."

Granted, he'd had to defeat Madara and Sas-him to earn it. Damn straight he deserved it then.

He felt eyes on him.

Kakashi was looking at him with pride.

That, more than anything else, was the goalpost he'd wished to reach.

Warmth spread across his chest. With determination, he looked back at Tsunade, almost jumping where he stood. "Ne, ne, baa-chan, you won't regret it, totally! I won't ever disappoint you, believe it!"

She grimaced, finding humor in his words. "Of course. Now, with this news out of the way, there are other things to discuss." Struck by a thought, her features darkened, burdened. "There is still the issue of Sasuke."

It was said too calmly, too easily, too everything that didn't bode with him, and the words Naruto had been reading with anticipation blurred and the image of him, his innocent, twelve-year-old counterpart wearing white and red face-paint, distorted.

No-one noticed.

Uninterrupted, Tsunade continued. "I'm not sure how you managed it, Naruto, but you got him acting remotely human again. He's been seen in and out of the Uchiha district, no longer acting as suspicious as before. That is good, even if we don't know yet what to make of it. Re-installing him as a Konoha nin will take time. Of course, I have his promotion on my table as well and even if I do consider it premature, with his current power level… It's only unfortunate, hm."

"Hokage-sama, are you sure it's a good idea to make Sasuke a chuunin?" Kakashi's voice lacked all glee from before, turned solemn.

"It's not but there isn't much to do. I'm going to wait, of course, with this; I just wanted to inform you. You, Kakashi… Along with Team 7 will be my eyes and ears."

All watched her intently. Naruto couldn't tear his eyes from her lips.

"I can't watch him myself, that's unthinkable. It only makes sense, I hope you understand, to trouble you with this particular task. Along with the council, I've reached a decision that's the most sensible, rational of all. I'm going to re-install Uchiha Sasuke as a member of-"

"No."

Tsunade's lips remained parted, the last sinister words left to linger on the tip of her tongue, all muscles readied to finish the sentence, but instead she stopped to stare at him-

-at Naruto, whose eyes had gone wide and blood icy.

Sakura and Sai were giving him weird looks and Kakashi was frowning in confusion.

"No?" repeated Tsunade, closing her mouth at once, possibly realizing she resembled a fish that way. "Did you just say no?"

Naruto blinked, heart jotting down an unfamiliar melody in his chest; he closed the file, placed it back on Tsunade's desk. "No-ye-no! I mean, well, you know? Isn't it a bit too soon? I mean, Sa-he might need more time."

Gravely, she frowned and leaned forward to prop herself up on her elbows, chin resting on her jointed hands. "Naruto, how long would you have us wait? Sasuke is still a potential threat and will be for a long time; his betrayal, siding with Orochimaru for power and Akatsuki for revenge won't be forgotten easily. We're all aware of the fight you had with Sasuke last night – after all, he showed in the hospital today with gaping wounds that needed healing, which makes me want to ask how exactly did you manage to do that to him but…" She didn't want to know, not really, as he could tell, or it was his wishful thinking deluding him into believing that because no-one SHOULD want to know, no-one should WISH to bear the burden of that reality, that, that-monstrosity, atrocity, that-

"At either regard, Naruto, whereas I understand your worries, the longer the wait, the closer to the inevitable we get. We can't afford Sasuke betraying Konoha again. The situation with him is currently very frail and you know that as well. Now-"

-interrupted by the door opening and someone speaking-"He's arrived."

Tsunade nodded. "Let him in."

Naruto stepped forward-all protest dying in his throat. The irrefutable, disgusting truth was – that he felt Him. He felt Him with every cell in his body that shrank away, with every particle he was composed of that trembled weakly, with the muscles that tensed and a part of him that just _tingled_, roused out of its reverie by Him.

Hope was drained out of him. Already, all eyes safe for his had turned to rest on the newcomer. It was inevitable.

Slowly, he turned, torso angled, head to side, eyes peeled on Him and out of the six people in the room, Sasuke watched him and him only.

Naruto's heart sank below the sea level.

Now, he couldn't turn away. The will to tear his eyes from him and pretend this man didn't exist was as tempting as it was impossible, sufficiently eliciting many twisted emotions that continued to swirl unabashedly in the pit of his stomach, and making all levels in him rise; anger and disgust, spurred to join them in this world of living by this and that, by the memories of-of-

He gulped.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, two cold exquisite gems embedded into his skull to exude exhilarated hate.

He was to walk forward, but the way they stood left him with only the free space on Naruto's left to occupy. And only that. As such, this man did not move.

Tsunade grumbled. "Sasuke."

As such, this man did not even look at her. Not once did the eye contact break as with calculated step he strutted to stand right by Naruto, and when he reached him, the odd warmth he radiated forced Naruto to first break contact. Heart skipping madly in his ribcage, he looked everywhere but at him, pointedly ignoring the tension that hung in the air.

Tsunade followed his example seamlessly. "Again, as I was saying, Uchiha Sasuke is to rejoin Team 7. Sai, you were Sasuke's replacement, but despite that you are to remain a part of the Team; your contribution to the teamwork and development is indisputable. You seem to work the best with Naruto and Sakura and as such you are to remain with the team as well. Kakashi, you're re-installed as their jounin. Any complaints?"

Sakura and Sai shook their heads and Kakashi looked at her, lazy and idle.

Naruto couldn't force anything out of himself. Like a statue, he stood there, not even blinking.

Still, Tsunade opted for ignorance.

Someone, however, did not; shy, Sai lifted his hand like they used to in elementary, polite in how they yearned to ask a question, and Naruto managed to look at him from the corner of his eyes.

As Tsunade gave him a curt nod, Sai stepped forward, contemplative and concerned in that special way only he could pull off. "I was thinking – well, there is considerable tension between Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun. Surely, the fight from the previous night is still troubling them. Given their pasts and Hokage-sama's order, that could grow into a potential liability. I read somewhere that in these situations, reconciliation is required. Maybe, Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun should like to make peace by shaking their hands-"

Naruto's blood turned into poison. He didn't think.

"No way in hell am I touching this bastard!"

Sharply, all eyes landed on him, all with the exception of Sasuke that burned hotly like coal. "I don't want you touching me."

It was the first time he'd spoken.

Naruto turned to him, livid and possessed. "I was stating my opinion. Bugger off."

"Ah, you finally realized your opportunity to have an opinion of your own. How _sweet_ of you."

The air between them frizzled. Hot blood pumped through Naruto's veins. "What's that supposed to mean? I have my own opinions."

"Really, I'd think it becoming of you to just bend over-"

"_Don't you dare finish that sentence."_

Too far. He'd gone too far.

Now, they were staring each other down and Naruto wasn't sure if only his heart resonated firmly with the belief that was a low blow, or just a bad comeback or just the wrong time for a wording like that, or, well, anything, anyone, that – well, just.

Just.

Sasuke's brows knitted together, a dim shine in his eyes. "Or what, _Naruto_. Tell me, or what? Remember to say my name."

Naruto's hand twitched. He wanted to punch a hole in the bastard's pretty face, to maim him but – but he was too close and his body tingled and-and-

-he knew when the fright came, when it laced his eyes for Sasuke's reflected it and, as if stung, the dark-haired man backed away in a weak, giving up, uncharacteristic gesture.

"… Does this mean you won't be shaking hands?" piped in Sai, brows furrowed and expression nervous, uncertain, earning himself just a dirty look from Naruto as the blond put his hands in his pockets and refused to admit to himself any such obscure exchange had happened.

Or that they were all watching him. Not Sasuke, but him, prying him open with their eyes and openly wondering _what the hell was this all about._

Naruto brooded. "What? Fine. He is Team 7 again. Whatever." Pretending to sulk, he crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the relentless beating of his heart. "Anything else?"

Confused about this display, Tsunade failed to chastise him for this petulance, rather leaning back to direct her eyes on the other, more composed and easily understood members of the team. "We can't allow you to leave Konoha at the moment," she spoke slowly. "There is lot to be done in Konoha, so that shouldn't be a problem. Before I assign you on any missions I request that you work on your teamwork. Sasuke, it's obvious that your teamwork is greatly lacking, which is why I'm going to suggest to Kakashi and the others to spend some time working on that. The training grounds are yours for the next several days."

"Can I request at least a week or two?" asked Kakashi.

"Certainly, but a two weeks' time is quite enough, any more and people would think someone is getting special treatment, even if I understand that even a month might be too little. Anyway, you are to start as soon as possible. Consider this a mission; you get to work on your teamwork, build something again…"

She looked at Naruto this time, maybe thinking he'd appreciate the opportunity to bond the most, but as it dawned on him who he'd be spending his time with – after all, Kakashi couldn't look at Him, Sai, with his socially awkward antics, best not be allowed near Him, and with Sakura's mixed feelings for Him, who else would spend majority of the time around Him if not he? –, he could only sink further; around his feet, the cement had melted, creating quicksand that inch by inch swallowed him up, and his entire chest lapped for a chance to breath out.

He couldn't, no matter how much he knew he should, award Tsunade with gratitude. He could not.

The only thing he could was fight the temptation to flee.

Tsunade dismissed them. Kakashi said to meet at the entrance to the grounds tomorrow morning, for apparently he had things to finish and all one by one dispersed like flies to all different directions, thinking and mulling things over-

Naruto paused in mid-step, standing just a few feet from Tsunade's office; the door had closed and Sasuke's hand unfurled from the door handle, falling by his side. With nonchalant grace, Sasuke looked at him, lifting his head by a fraction and resting his burning eyes on him.

At that moment, an unsettling force grew between them, for they remembered the happenings of the last night.

Yes, Sasuke was a terrifying menace, love and hate and any other emotion indistinguishable from dispassion, and yes, Naruto was a formidable force of the nature, expressive to a point of deliberate penance imposed on people.

Still… Both could only stare, a part of them, as Naruto liked to think, just genuinely frightened.

Eventually, Sasuke drifted away like a wraith haunting these corridors, moving in the opposite direction, and in the fear of encountering him again, Naruto found the nearest window and used it as the exit, surging through Konoha the speed of thoughts of a cornered, caged animal.

On his lower lip, a thin, faint crescent-shaped line was formed, created by the teeth grating hard into it.

_Goddamn it… Goddamn it._

_DAMN IT._

* * *

><p>Again, people weren't pleased with him. Not Naruto's mistake, really… Okay, it was. He was late, as simple as that, and for what he considered the first time ever, Kakashi was on time. Which meant HE had made everyone wait three hours, three hours they'd all spent in a safe distance from Sasuke in utter silence, three hours they were going to punish him for, and as he entered the clearing with only some residual signs of uncertainty, Sakura rounded on him with a flaming fist.<p>

The next moment, he was nursing a bruise and pouting. "Sakura-chaaaaaan… That hurt."

She glared at him and stomped her foot on the ground. "Good. Naruto, you're three hours late! We're supposed to work on our teamwork and…" She hesitated, before sending a furtive look in someone's direction and leaning in, as inconspicuous as an elephant in a china room. "Seriously, it wasn't right. You know you're the only person who can talk to him and, gods, he's just been so, uhhhh… Naruto, why were you even late?"

Pouting the whole time, Naruto sent a questioning look at Sasuke leaning against a nearby tree trunk, body obscured by its shadow. "I was… Um."

"Um?"

"… I over-slept."

Sakura's brows twitched. "Over-slept. Over-slept… I should smack you, you tool-"

"Ah, Sakura-chan!" Pleadingly, he clasped his hands together, puppy eyes and all that the only weapon he had on her.

She blanched, hesitating and Kakashi finally decided to step in, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder, concerned and mildly annoyed himself. "Naruto, this is your first official day as a chuunin and at the moment, you're not acting a shining example. Please, remember now that your responsibilities are greater than before." Despite the severity of his words, his voice sounded gentle and soothing, immediately eliciting a pang of guilt from Naruto's chest that swirled coolly underneath the surface of his face and eagerly nibbled on his thoughts.

Properly ashamed, Naruto scratched the back of his neck, eyes downcast. "Sorry, really. I couldn't sleep last night. Won't happen again?"

Kakashi sighed. "Better not."

A fuming Sakura in tow, he walked back to a confused-looking Sai, and Naruto trudged unwillingly behind them, the memory of Sakura's punch still fresh on his memory. It was quite a beautiful morning, with the birds chirping, sun shining down on them and the world looking ready to be completely rejuvenated. Only… Naruto assumed a position between Sai and Sakura and all eyes rested on Kakashi. In the air, no scent of new and better future lingered, for now the moment to launch into reality had returned full force, meant to strike them down with the irrevocable fact that – Sasuke who had yet to move from the tree, Sasuke who had yet to look at them, Sasuke with his sullied history – was not going to be easily coaxed into cooperating.

"Naruto," spoke Kakashi, eyes idly on Sasuke's somber figure, weariness invading his demeanor. "I know this is unfair, but I'm going to have to ask you to speak to Sasuke. He won't listen to me, won't even look at me…"

Naruto tried not to feel the bitterness in the man's voice, but it was as true as the grass underneath his feet; he knew without asking that one moment Sasuke had appeared, astute in his hate for them, leaned against the tree and from there on commenced in believing all to be beneath him. All not to deserve a measly little "morning."

Unbeknownst to him, his blue eyes had traveled on the man's deceptively willowy figure, his heart drumming unpleasantly in his ribcage and the jugular clogged.

"Right," he croaked out, hoarse. "Someone's gotta talk to the guy. Yeah, I know that. Do I have to?"

Whether someone noted the disdain in his voice was unknown, as Kakashi looked at him, pleading subtly, asking for this one favor.

_Right. Of course…_ Naruto grimaced.

"Fine, what do I tell him."

"For now, just getting him to join us will suffice."

Naruto's grimace hardened and he waddled towards the man, a pathetic "whatever" passing by his lips. Sasuke had strategically positioned himself at the tallest, sturdiest looking tree, the forest looming behind his back and all means of escape available to him. From the rest of the team, many terrifying feet representing the years of separation separated him and each one was overtook with a growing sense of discomfort. Naruto neared him and the closer he got, the more aware he was.

Aware of Sasuke's exact posture, aware of the hair adorning his cheekbones, of the simple top revealing his clavicle and the thin line shyly poking out from underneath the black material, the high collar casting a shade on his nape and of the clenching of his jawline so very prominent and sound, signalizing that, just twenty feet apart, Sasuke acknowledged him.

Ten feet away, the tree shade stopped, creating a figurative barrier around him, being the manifestation of his immense distaste for the whole crescendo of bullshit and hypocrisy he was forced to partake in and Naruto hovered over the line for a split second – before stepping inside the shade and breaching the territory claimed as Sasuke's.

At once, Sasuke looked at him, sharp, resentful, tense and chivalrous in how he waited for the first mistake instead of conjuring one out of nowhere and starting a fight.

Naruto lifted his chin up, eyes narrowed and peering down at him and in vain he calmed himself down, in vain did he try to – _forget._

For many long seconds, nothing but silence between them. In the void that separated them, the ifs, buts, ands and ends lingered, and the ends were the most startling, for Naruto – somehow, just ANYHOW – suspected this wasn't the end. The discovery of an uncharted territory awaiting the first expedition to take its flower was the skin off his nose, the blade to his wrists and the noose around his neck.

Sasuke seemed to twitch-

Naruto stepped forward, put his foot down and refused to budge. "Kakashi-sensei says to come. So, come."

Ever so slightly, the pitch black, lifeless eyes narrowed, exhibiting greater life than the entirety of the forest around.

He started to bristle. "Kakashi-sensei says-"

"What is my name?"

"-to-_what_?" In utter confusion – because, really, was this some kind of a kinky game Sasuke had on his mind? – he stared at Sasuke. "What?"

Without further ado, Sasuke's form abandoned the safety of the trunk, but – no. It was HE who'd offered the object safety, it was he who had given it sanctity, for he was greater than life and the true enigma ensuring all life sped towards the same goal.

Sasuke stopped, maybe not daring to step further, maybe those three feet too small, too mocking, too crucifying. "Naruto…"

And the name alone was the element necessary to prompt a small wince from Naruto, who still didn't know, didn't WANT to know, actually, but-

"What is my name?"

Naruto glowered at him, only with difficulty biting on his tongue to prevent himself from jumping into a fight or leaving a scathing, sarcastic reply. "What, did you forget your own name? Not my business. Kakashi-se-"

"I heard you. Answer me."

"I said-"

"_My name, Naruto."_ Sasuke was now standing close, too close, stressing each word and syllable and turning them into a hex. "Say-my-name."

What it all boiled to – was admission. Naruto faltered but kept his poker face. Sasuke had not conveniently forgotten his name, wasn't hoping to be reminded so again they could laugh together, arms around shoulders, and all the glory of their horrific pasts behind them. No, Sasuke was demanding acceptance.

Acceptance of what happened between them, that filthy, horrendous act, that- that thing, and Naruto knew that'd not thought it once, that name, had not said it once in his mind or out loud, could not utter it even now, lips drawn into a thin line and the idea of doing it sending a sickening lurch to his stomach.

Cautious. Be cautious. "I know your name."

Sasuke would disregard it. "Then say it."

Expectations. Sakura, Sai and Kakashi had those. Tis why they were boring holes into his back, waiting for a signal to pounce like predators on their prey, send in reinforcements and call him out on his cowardice. Or Sasuke would have the pleasure of the latter, not relenting, staring him down, but even in the man's stone-like façade was a crack of emotion, sensible in its pursuit of turning him real and human. Sasuke was not oblivious to their wretched reality, was not an avid fan of it, but nonetheless – he was too strong a man to deny it.

Naruto took a deep breath; the air clattered against his lungs, bumping severely into them and wreaking a dull ache in his chest threatening to spread across the body.

Fine.

_Fine._

"You're to join us in training." A pause. A twitch, reconsideration-"_Sasuke._"

Even He took a deep breath and closed his eyes like a weak criminal giving his testimony, approving their right to judge him for all his sins, and he pushed past him and their shoulders collided and Naruto's hand shot out like an arrow shot at the black center, landing on Sasuke's shoulder for reasons he just didn't understand.

Sasuke's muscles turned into a marble sculpted and chiseled fine and like a tornado he whipped around to curl his fingers around Naruto's hand and push him off-

-instead, they had a direct skin to skin contact and a moment when their instincts acted and didn't allow the rationality to prevail.

Their faces neared, heats mingled and minds gone assuredly stark insane, batshit insane, just plain insane, moronic and inane and inept at dealing with things, situation and this world and suddenly there were hands on Naruto's shoulders and hands on Sasuke's and those hands were prying them off each other and Naruto became aware of the chakra that enveloped his hands and the scared killing intent in the air.

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke, Naruto, no!"

Sai held Sasuke back, Kakashi held Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widened.

_Were we about to fight… Or? OR?... Or what? What? What… What? Were we about to do…?_

Primal fear choked him. He didn't s struggle against the hold, Kakashi's arms holding his in a firm lock and making him back away from Sasuke who'd shaken Sai off and was the epitome of a different kind of struggle, mask cracking ominously and loud enough for Sakura and Sai to back away.

"That's ENOUGH." Kakashi let go of him, stepping between them, furious. "Sasuke, Naruto… This is enough. You will not fight. You will NEVER fight again. I'd have expected more from you, Naruto…" It was a hushed whisper not meant to judge, but how DARE Kakashi assume when he didn't know what happened or was to-transpire… Okay. Calm down. Calm down. Calm…

…He breathed out. _Down._ Relaxed against his mind's protective hold on him and looked away. Kakashi's stern gaze loosened, eventually altogether disappeared.

"Naruto, what did I tell you before?"

Naruto's lips resembled a thin line quickly jotted down. "Responsibilities, duties," he let out through gritted teeth. "I know…" Ego. Pride. Swallow them down… Hide everything. A shaky breath was taken. "I'm sorry… _Sasuke._" His eyes found the man's. "I will never try to do this again… _Sasuke."_

The blinkered lot interpreted that is a promise for a peaceful future. While they might have doubted it, knowing any encounter between Sasuke and Naruto had only one possible road to walk down and make its own, Naruto realized it was their ignorance that granted them this much bliss; he knew the truth and Sasuke depicted that by the bitter resentment on his face because whatever they'd almost committed – was the scenery of their fight from two days ago.

And Naruto wasn't admitting it had happened. He was daring Sasuke to bring it up again.

The situation was "solved" and moments later they all stood in the middle of the clearing. This time, however, they'd learned from their past mistake and Naruto was on one end, Sasuke on the other.

Kakashi had a look of constipation on his face for once, obviously cursing his own suggestion of taking two weeks to patch things up and either he'd reached a conclusion no less than two years would be required or that nothing, no-one in this world could sew together the halves of one page Sasuke had with an allure of a madman ripped.

Again, the sun prodded at them with its warmth and a breeze blew by, kissing their cheeks and ruffling the hair. Naruto squinted his eyes, lens flare enrapturing his attention as it poked from behind Kakashi's broad shoulders and tall, purposefully stoic frame, and a portion of the tension was switched off, tucked under the sheets to nap.

_Fine._

Fight. Naruto's finger itched for something to grab onto. Preferably a face. Nose. Lips. Crush it. Violent urges. A bemused smile tugged at his lips.

All composed and relatively mellowed, Kakashi finally assessed them all like adults and pocketed his worries.

"As Hokage-sama said, we are to work on our teamwork. Sakura, Naruto and Sai have progressed greatly in the past months, forming a comprehensive and unquestionably strong camaraderie. No-one is stoked about this sudden, hm, let's call it intrusion, but as it is, re-installing you, Sasuke, as a Konoha nin and re-establishing trust in you is our goal. I'm sure you understand this perfectly."

Naruto refused to look at Sasuke and see the disdain, but he didn't have to for the master was a chatty squirrel today, murmuring a mocking-"Of course, Kakashi."-that smelled from a great distance of challenge. The absence of the pre-required honorific was a jab at Kakashi's authority, Sasuke's natural dislike for those presented in a blaring and obvious way that made Sakura look towards the ground uncomfortably, Sai's features mingle with confusion and Kakashi, maybe, purse his lips into a thin line to turn into an upside-down smile.

In Naruto's center, anger rose.

Kakashi was a strong man, though, resilient. "I've thought this through, of course, and reached a conclusion it'd be best to pose a challenge for you all. I'm dividing you into two teams. Sakura with Naruto, Sai with Sasuke. Each team will be given a bell, and each team a mission to take the other team's bell while protecting own. I'll give both teams a map with a marked place where they will start, which is to give both teams sufficient time to adjust to each other, formulate a plan and eventually do their best to win. I hope I don't need to tell you… I want you to fight seriously, but I will not stand to seeing anyone gravely injured. You're to test your teamwork, not solve any disputes. Any qualms with that?"

Naruto thought – and the thought showed. Kakashi read it well and a wordless conversation commenced.

_Are you sure it's alright to put me against the bastard?_

_At the current state, do you think you two could fight alongside each other?_

_Sai might not fare against him well._

_You and Sakura have a wonderful teamwork, Naruto, it's something I'm hoping will inspire Sasuke. On that note, Sai happens to dote on you immensely, which is a thing I believe could aid him as well._

_Sai's devotion to my ideology and Sakura's compatibility with me are those exact things that could set Him off. _

_At this moment, you and I both know that putting you with Sasuke would be a mistake. But agreed, all that might contribute to worse… If worse comes to worst, I will switch you with Sai, but until then…_

_Whatever,_ thought Naruto, hiding his irritation as Sai grasped by the edges the map and the bell Kakashi handed to him before meeting Sasuke and as Sakura took theirs with a worried look cast at the black-haired duo. Naruto couldn't blame her for that. After a command from Kakashi, both teams set off to different directions. Somehow, as Naruto gingerly followed Sakura, he couldn't help but think that soon, soon he'd be switching places with a distraught, wrecked Sai pushed beyond his emotional limits.

"You have five hours to prepare. On my sign, the test will start. Go."

* * *

><p>Sakura was seated at the tree trunk, legs folded under her figure, nibbling on a chocolate bar idly, preserving her energy and keeping her cool.<p>

Naruto was fidgeting. Less than a few minutes left and his hair had curled in all wayward directions with the precision of someone coming home from war. Soon, Kakashi would give them a sign and then… then what?

He frowned, deep in thought, until Sakura tucked the leftover chocolate into her bag and threw a sage look into his direction. "It's almost time. Naruto, do you remember our plan?"

"Sure," he replied, sullen and pouting. "I don't think it's going to work, though."

"It is. Sasuke used to work with us, but over time his teamwork skills had degraded. You remember how he treated his teammate, don't you?"

_Karin…_ Naruto averted his eyes and huffed. "Sure I do. You think he's going to do the same to Sai."

She sighed and gathered herself to her feet. "Of course, there's no doubting that. Right, there is a possibility of him working with Sai… However small. Should that happen, we'll switch to plan B. Remember to keep guard over the bell." She looked at her watch. "One minute left."

He nodded.

Clasping his hands together in a seal and gathering utmost bout of concentration, he focused until a familiar stroke of force entered his body just a second or two later. Next, his irises became golden, redness invading his eyelids and the Sage mode was initiated.

Less than a minute later, a red flare was shot towards the sky.

_Start._

They flew towards the skies as well, the wispy, reddish, orange clouds like wings sprouting from their shoulder blades, and both sped towards, Naruto in the front, Sakura in the back.

And it was freedom.

The whole world was his and his alone, vast and large, a tremendous and beckoning force offered to him in the form of speed torrents of thoughts and sensations coming from all different directions; here he sensed a lamb, there a boar, there a bear with its little ones, there a small fly buzzing by, and all colors sharpened, intense and bright. The green that surrounded them became radiant. Through gapes in the tree crowns, light streamed. He heard the trickling of the distanced stream, felt the rustling of the leaves like they were his own, sensed the emotion in color and color in emotion.

He became one with the forest.

"NARUTO!"

His eyes opened, golden.

Two chakra signatures coming their way, the first Sasuke's – as only Sasuke's could be an insignia of vengeance integrated into every cell in his body – and the sentient fear-laden chakra of Sai chasing after him, both several miles away, but so fast that Naruto instinctively sped up, all turning into a slur of a blur and becoming forgotten.

"Don't forget about our plan!" Sakura was screaming at him and sure, sure, he heard her well, but at this state – intoxicated on the belief all was right, he forgot completely about the plan… Not the engage Sasuke. He had to engage Sasuke. Sasuke had to engage him. There was no other way.

"One mile away now," he shouted over to her, jumping to left just as Sakura went right in a circle and soon afterwards the other two separated as well, one after Naruto, the other after Sakura and it was funny how they'd thought this over when in reality – it would always come down to this.

To this moment when Sasuke's figure didn't stop, appearing from the distance and hunting him _down_.

A rueful, mad Cheshire grin danced on Naruto's features for he noted the bell on a string attached to Sasuke's waist, and he knew Sasuke had not cooperated. Sakura and Sai clashed, exchanging blows but already knowledgeable of the situation and maybe fearing that he and Sasuke had anticipated this, wishing for this poetic meeting again but there went Sasuke's compatibility with people, down the drain.

Tranquilly, untouched by the happenings of this world, Naruto avoided clashing with Sasuke, coming to a halt on a branch and jumping upwards, higher and higher into the thick branches and leaves and Sasuke went after him, until both appeared at the very tree top, jumping as high from the ground as possible. This was the plan. Lure Sasuke out, distract him, wait for Sakura to appear and, and-

Sasuke wasn't attacking, wasn't acting, merely running _to him._

Naruto's resolve wavered.

Two chakra signatures neared him, one Sakura, the other Sai, and it was hard to notice their labored breathing in a strange unison, as if they'd reached a conclusion that needed to share. But what was it-

-Sasuke in a quick motion unclasped the bell and threw it behind his head. With fascination, Naruto's eyes followed the bell as it disappeared into the trees below, concentration all lost.

_What?_

And there was Sai on his sketched beast, holding the bell, the new appointed bearer.

Divide and conquer.

_How smart, asshole, how smart,_ he thought, darkly amused, body falling towards the trees again. A toothy grin was flashed and his feet touched the frail tree trunk, the chakra keeping them glued to it but not strong enough to defy gravity. Like on a roller-coaster with speed greater than he'd ever felt in his face he skidded down the tree, too fast and hard a bullet for any branch to stand in his way, all splitting in half and buckling away. Mid-way through, he twisted around, still falling, still only barely seeing that Sasuke had followed and made seals for his clan's signature jutsu. Heat neared him, parallel with the Sun's coat, and at the last moment he jumped backwards, losing ground under his feet and seeing the fireball miss him by an inch that still scorched his feet. A hiss slipped through his lips, followed by a curse as Sasuke disappeared from his line of sight, hidden between the branches, but you can't run from the Sage mode and all it took was just one brief thought before he knew-

-Sasuke was behind him and Naruto was falling down without nothing to hold onto, only the body a miserable distance behind him and the ground getting too close. But Sasuke wasn't taking the bell, Sasuke wasn't in a possession of it, just playing him like a fool and Naruto gritted his teeth, forming a hand seal-"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

Seven Narutos appeared, neatly lined up next to each other, joined by hands, the furthest Naruto holding onto a branch and the closest one saving him from the imminent fall, but as Sasuke impacted with the ground, he dispersed into smoke and Naruto bristled, realizing he'd been had, quickly releasing the clone and evading just in time the real Sasuke that pierced his way through all seven clones, their POOFS resounding in Naruto's ear. Sasuke landed on the ground, just briefly all in slow motion to portray with mockery his ever-so-graceful touch with own power, and the Sharingan eyes flashed at him, before Sasuke was on him.

Literally on him.

"What the-"

He was pressed against the ground, a body on top of his and the impact mixing his thoughts together like the ingredients in a milkshake shaker, making it hard to tell one from another, until automatically his hand reached for the bell-but suddenly was stopped an inch away from it by Sasuke's, and a bit too late did Naruto realize that this had been the plan all along; use this current weakness against him and secure their victory.

_That… Bastard._

Enraged, Naruto gritted his teeth and reached out with the other free hand to grab Sasuke but the Sharingan gave Sasuke an advantage in this situation as well and the other hand was slapped away, then grasped firmly in long, elfin fingers and held against the ground.

A bit later Naruto blinked and he was effectively… Paralyzed. Sasuke was pinning him down. Just pinning him down, holding him in a snare and still rubbing the weakness Naruto suffered from into his tanned, cute face.

"Teme…"

"You failed... Naruto."

Wolfishly, Naruto smirked, lungs clenched, body protesting against the startling suggestion that presented itself to him-but it was worth the victory, no, worth the risks and unnecessary recollection of memories-"Yeah… _Sasuke._ _We_ failed. And you have all of me again."

Sasuke tensed, lips drawn back into a primitive snarl that threatened to erupt from his chest, and Naruto did, perhaps, a foolish thing, thrusting his hips forward and getting a bewildered widening of eyes in turn and it was enough; using the momentum, Naruto planted one foot against the ground, sending too much chakra in it until around it the air crackled and dust rose and he applied force to the foot, his entire weight focused on the limb and he sent them both in air, flipping them over-

-with Naruto landing on top of Sasuke, the situation sweetly reserved.

Sakura came from the back, panting heavily but rushing without a break and Naruto let go of Sasuke, jumping back and landing a safe distance away where Sakura stood, a defensive stance assumed, fists raised, her gloves tinted with a few droplets of blood and a glimmer of sweat on her cheekbones.

"I have the other bell," she whispered heatedly, prompting a puzzled look from Naruto.

"What? What did you do to Sai?"

Her eyes wouldn't leave Sasuke. "I beat the crap out of him and he told me of Sasuke's plan." A huff. Uh-oh…

Naruto coughed. "Okay, so we won?"

Sakura's features were set into a tight mask of concentration. "Kakashi-sensei never said when the test was over."

"What?"

"Naruto… He never said a word about us stopping upon claiming both bells…"

Shoulders shaking, Sasuke rose to his feet, behind him the disheveled, battered Sai nursing his split lips appearing.

"Read underneath the underneath," reminded him Sakura, voice a dangerous whisper and Naruto wiped the sweat on his forehead into his sleeve, thinking hard for a moment and letting the thoughts distract him-

"Oh… We're to continue this until Kakashi-sensei appears and says it's over and whoever has both bells will be the winner."

"To improve our teamwork," nodded Sakura. "Or, at least, until we've improved enough, fighting nonstop over the bells… We have the bells now. Now, we are the sitting ducks…"

"How long do you think this is going to take?"

He heard a dark chuckle that didn't fit Sakura's personality and saw her give him an amused, lop-sided grin. "Well, he did ask for two weeks, didn't he?"

Naruto's shoulders dropped and his eyes widened into a size of saucers. "Two… Two weeks stuck in this stupid place, fighting these two… buffoons… _Hysterical, _Kakashi-sensei, just hysterical," he chirped in cheerfully but the brows twitched and muscles tensed. "I swear, when I get my hands on him…"

Survive for two weeks in the forest caught in a time-space continuum fighting over the bells… With Sakura who had yet to accept Sasuke. With Sai, who was stuck between them like that innocent onlooker dragged into a fight between a man and his spouse… And then Sasuke, who had, without second thought, reminded him of that… Of that.

Naruto pocketed both bells, formed a seal, two Narutos appearing by his side.

"If Kakashi-sensei thinks… Che. We'll see what he says if we destroy half the forest."

Sakura almost fell over, gripped by shock. "What? Naruto, you can't be-oh, come on, it's ridiculing his teachings and-_are you mental, you are-_?"

In familiar motions, the two clones started to put together Rasenshuriken and around them, the course of wind altered, switching to follow the concentrated chakra gathering on his palm. Even if anyone wanted to stop him, they couldn't do it, not now.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Again, Sasuke was staring him down, the only person not to back away at the size of the Rasengan spiraling atop of Naruto's upturned palm, and it occurred to him that Sasuke had realized what this was about, that in that simple and cowardly reality…

_I refuse to be stuck together with you for two weeks, bastard… I'll do my best to make that man stop this training. Anything._

In front of him, Sasuke lowered his head, his long bangs whipping at his cheeks and further pronouncing the challenge presented to him.

_I am not going to just stand here and watch you play me, bastard… I would rather destroy this whole forest than be stuck you for the next two weeks._

The clones poofed, the spinning wheel rose and for one brief moment shorter than a split second, Naruto glanced the exact expression on Sasuke's face.

Lust.

Bloodlust.

_He's not going to let me go._

* * *

><p>A loud explosion resonated throughout the forest.<p>

Kakashi sat on top of a branch, the shockwave dispersing a few feet in front of him.

"Overkill." He stood up and remembered a warning he'd received early in the morning. "Tsunade-sama was right… Naruto seems scared of being around Sasuke."

His heart let out a few irregular beats – halted. Kakashi stared ahead, watching the destruction of Naruto's jutsu, just unwillingly, even unwittingly worried. "Just what did Sasuke say to you, Naruto?"

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>The characters, story and other elements belong to their rightful owner, Kishimoto Masashi. I gain no profit from writing and publishing this on the Internet.

**Full summary:** See first chapter.

**Rating:** M as mature for sexual themes, violence, blood. Heavy shounen-ai, slash, eventual… We'll see if eventual SasuNaru or corpse-slash-corpse-in-mass-grave-because-they-killed-each-other.

**Warning:** Don't read if easily squeamish or if you're not mature yet to handle mature topics such as sex and… That strange sex they had. I'm saying it now – **no rape**. Just sex. Which makes what they had even worse. There will be swearing, HEAVY shounen-ai and much twisted stuff not suitable for children or those weak of mind. You have been warned.

**A/N:** Oh, god, I'm so tired Dx But I updated this, YOSH! Now, here's the thing, I would LOVE to continue this story, but I do need your input, guys, I do need to know if there's any point in continuing this, you know? Of course, I did get reviews for the first chapter and x)) They brightened up my day and made me decide to post this. **So- thank you to all those that reviewed ** It's a pity I can't reply to anonymous reviews, since I like to reply to all reviews, but I still have this way of saying thank-you, so, again **THANK-YOU!**

Onto this story…

One reviewer pointed out – or maybe asked – an interesting thing; did Naruto fall to Sasuke's desperation, or did Sasuke fall to Naruto's devotion? What surprised me about that question was how scarily concise it was, so succinct yet speaking of many things at once. Thankfully, I do have the answer already, although I'd prefer it if I made it obvious in my chapters rather than simply give it to you.

Sasuke and Naruto had sex. There it is, they had sex. Premature sex. Wrong kind of sex. And wrong time for it as well. I was struck by an idea, see, and asked myself – what if they just did it? Not consciously, not knowingly, but did it and the sex was the manifestation of all their pent-up emotions, feelings, thoughts and their history? Would they work their way from that point or try to forever avoid the topic? Would it ruin them or, maybe, create something else? Wish things were simple with them, but, ah, Sasuke and Naruto… Together, damaged and fixed.

This is a standalone story, having only little to nothing to do with Sole. On that note, shameless self promotion, but if you're interested generally in what I write, maybe like how I write and etc, etc, check out my other story, _**Sole**_, which is still in progress.

Also, on the same note, in Sole, Sasuke and Naruto have established a strong connection – too strong for anyone's understanding. Their devotion to one another is self-destructive but also pure and strong.

In Convalescence, I will be dealing with darker, more twisted themes and sex will pop in frequently, actually. Doesn't mean you will get sex in, let's say, the next chapter (or ever in general?), but the topic of it will be brought up often and will play an active role in this story; after all, I didn't start the whole story with sex just for the lulz and to cater to my whimsical needs.

Anyway, this story might be exclusively written from Naruto's POV, we'll see; as all sub-plots branch out, a need for another input might arise. And anyway…

Should I get a good, positive response all for this story, updates will be weekly, or bi-weekly, depending on my schedule and etc. But I think it's been settled already I work the best under pressure so x) See you, hopefully, in a week! Thank you for reading, remember to review!


	3. Chapter 3

Convalescence, Chapter three

_The act of being friends_

Hindsight is such a pretty word, so let's start with hindsight.

In hindsight, there were other ways Naruto could have approached the problem and wiping a portion of the forest didn't account into the small range of acceptable ones. Of course… In hindsight, he shouldn't have thought it a solution at all as it had worked only in getting many frowns and a pile of work he had to finish by night. After all, how did he ever think Tsunade would be happy with seeing the forest, oh, you know, gone?

Naruto grumbled under his breath, wiping Konohamaru's – Konohamaru's, who swore to walk in his footsteps, the cheek of that brat! – graffiti off the walls. Behind him, Iruka was fretting and fussing over him.

"-I mean, honestly, Naruto, was it necessary? People aren't exactly happy with you at the moment, but, okay, I get it… Strike that, I don't! How did you-I mean… You could have hurt your teammates, too! Oh, Sakura complained to me about that and, well…" He let out a heavy sigh.

Naruto made a grimace of regret; it was his third day of doing small chores all around Konoha, and in the end Kakashi didn't cancel the training at all… In the end, he'd spent those two weeks in the forest, and the memory of that-

_-Sasuke on top of him again, again, all over and over and over again, slamming into him, ramming him against the trees, boulders and creating a lovely abode of hate and breached securities in the forest and Sakura and Sai losing touch with their spiteful reality, becoming confused with each strangled yell to erupt from Naruto's chest as he just threw the bells at Sasuke and Sasuke did not stop, continuously chasing and whispering the words-"Don't ever forget my name, Naruto"-_

-his hand stopped mid-way through to wiping a long, thick line.

Iruka hovered behind him. "What did Konohamaru even write? That's… _Ha._"

Naruto looked at the graffiti scribbled with a clumsy hand, spelling "Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage".

Warmth spread across his chest.

Iruka's strictness morphed into fondness. "Ah, I see…"

"He's a brat," said Naruto as he soaked the sponge into the water mixed with some cleaning agent, a smile twitching on his lips. "But he's a good brat." He laughed.

"Yeah," breathed Iruka, stopping his hand from cleaning the "na" in "Naruto", securely holding it in place. "I suppose… Well, I suppose you could let it go this time, no? I mean, your help is needed elsewhere and, besides, you didn't do that much damage and well-"

"Nah." Naruto wriggled out of Iruka's reach and with a quick swipe erased his name from the wall; wet drops tainted with black ink dripped down the wall and Naruto stood back to observe it, feeling like he'd swallowed a bitter pill and lived twenty years in twenty seconds. "This isn't how it's meant to go." Fondness, he felt it. "And, 'sides, I shouldn't have, so… Yeah. It's okay."

Iruka patted him on the shoulder. "You can take responsibility, Naruto, I know that. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Yeah. Won't."

"On the note…" Iruka trailed off and Naruto, expression sour, cleaned the rest of the graffiti, concentrated on his task until, of course, that certain question reached his ears. "I heard things are very tense between you and Sasuke. It's strange. Understandable, maybe, ah… I heard Sakura speak of it to Tsunade-sama. Apparently, things happened in the forest… Apparently, Sasuke focused only on you… Is there… Is there something-did something happen, Naruto?" Heavy worry mingled his voice; it was a soup with too much salt and pepper that attacked bud tastes with too much of the wrong ingredients and Naruto shook his head, bitter still, and full of-

_-"Naruto, what the-Sasuke, why are you only focusing on Naruto, this isn't time for any vendetta of yours, this is-UGH, would you just listen to me?"-_

_-Sasuke had him pinned against the tree, not touching the bells, not getting near but still too close, pegging him a victim, hot breath on Naruto's face and something in his eyes saying – come, I dare you, come, do it, acknowledge me, fight me, do it, become one with me-_

_-__**don't ever ignore me**__, Naruto._

-grasped too firmly, the water left the sponge, trailing down his hand. Naruto pressed his forehead against the wall.

_-"What do you want from me, huh, huh, HUH? Come, COME AT ME-do whatever you THINK you can but know you can never, ever lay a finger on me AGAIN-"_

_-"Naruto-kun, I… Am not here to take that bell from you, no so-Naruto-kun, I tried to talk sense into Sasuke-kun but I don't know… Well, he doesn't talk, obviously, doesn't listen and he seems much focused on you, I don't frankly understand why but… I guess I just didn't expect this…"-_

_-a moment of sanctity as they stood opposite each other, Sakura and Sai watching the show with horror and he tried to sidestep- but Sasuke caught him again, overtaken by his desire to PLAY, and he threw Naruto above his head and on the ground and he was pinning Naruto down, holding him down and Naruto knew he had the power to kill him right then and there but a weakness of his was passing judgment instead, horrified and repulsed by the impeccable closeness of their bodies-_

"Naruto…?"

A sigh. He stepped away from the wall. "He's a dick." Simple solution. A shrug followed and the subsequent child-like grimace of dislike that contorted his features in such a striking familiarity that Iruka seemed relaxed. "Honestly, just a dick. He targeted just me because of our past. I think he was totally amused by how I'd chased after him for a few years, so he decided to repay me the favor and see how it felt, I guess. Well, Sakura-chan and I were declared the winners in the end, but…"

_Mhmm, don't want to think about it any longer…_

"I heard he never tried to take the bell from you even when he could," added Iruka carefully, treading with care which, really, was nice but Naruto grinned at him.

"As I said. Dick."

"Okay… Well, if there is anything, you can tell me, you know?"

Tenderness. There was tenderness in Naruto's eyes which he lovingly, whole-heartedly embraced; this emotion he wished upon himself for all eternity. "Yeah, I know."

"Will you?"

"Duh. Iruka-sensei is Iruka-sensei, after all… My nii-san. I don't have any other."

Iruka didn't foolishly bring up Sasuke, did not question the years Naruto had spent chasing after him, proclaiming to anyone blind, deaf or willing to listen that the brotherly bond would be preserved, unmarred by even the hands of time; he did not think to doubt these words for one second even if, Naruto thought, maybe he should have, but then-

-he was glad, really, really glad for he'd been mocked and taunted and Sasuke… Sasuke had… Played with him, making him a victim to his sick thoughts and… And.

It went alright afterwards; the graffiti gone, Naruto went home, thinking the whole charade over at last, but, of course it was not.

* * *

><p>Tsunade was deciding between looking completely enraged and nonchalant. Kakashi thought she looked rather torn about this peculiar dilemma, despite it lacking any actual severity, but he had not the heart to chastise her, being in a similar position himself.<p>

"What are you saying then, Kakashi?" she asked him not exactly eventually, but still it took her a while to compose the correct kind of a question that wasn't immediately attacking him or lacking the usual domineering quality so uniquely hers.

"The teamwork, in a way, did, indeed, improve, in particular Sai and Sakura have improved greatly and I can safely say that in the future, they won't face many difficulties, at least as long as they continue making such tremendous progress. Naruto and Sakura made… Little progress, I'm afraid. And as for Sasuke…" He contemplated for a bit finding a way around the truth, waffling for a longer time to distract Tsunade with pretty words and sweet nothings, but she was too sharp for that and he too fond of keeping all limbs intact to ever attempt it. Thus, indignant and frowning slightly already, finding little to like in what he was to announce next, Kakashi continued-"Sasuke is proving to be a liability on the battlefield. Which is one way of putting it and the other would be – his incessant targeting of Naruto, which didn't stop for the entire duration of the training course, put a strain on Naruto and made his trust in both Sakura and Sai and, I'm afraid, even own abilities, unstable."

Tsunade scoffed from disgust, seated on her Hokage chair and making terrible grimaces befitting of a highly sought after film industry performance; she was a vivid picture, expressing this and that and flickering to and fro, indecisive in which expression to stick to, until it reached a point when she just-"Ugh. Stupid boy."-snapped. Somewhat. Kakashi was glad to note she still appeared composed.

"Sasuke is being a hindrance… You say he targeted Naruto?"

"Only Naruto."

"Killing intent?"

Kakashi, for the lack of other words, fretted. "Ah, well… I am not sure, to be honest. Sai and Sakura report a very aggressive approach neither of them could stop. From what I heard and observed myself, Sasuke never cared for the bells and even when Sakura carried them herself, he still went only after Naruto, always just… Targeting him, but never causing any injury, any harm. Without any killing intent."

Tsunade looked at him strangely. "He didn't hurt Naruto. Not even once."

"At least physically not. The few bruises and cuts healed over minutes with Naruto's signature regeneration, but he looked distressed after I called it off."

"Ugh, that Uchiha… He's more trouble than he's worth. I can't say I didn't completely expect this – in all honesty, with their history something like this was to be expected, but it doesn't look like this is some vendetta of his, even if…"

"It's personal," said Kakashi, finishing the thought for her. "It's definitely personal. I'd like to say it's only Sasuke, but even Naruto seemed somewhat involved. Rather – completely."

For a long, unpleasant moment, Tsunade continued to merely observe him like a scientist would its favored specimen, but then her shoulders slumped and she muttered something luckily incomprehensible under her breath. "The boys… Are going to be the death of me. What is wrong with them? Hn… Fine, Kakashi, continue to watch them. At any sign of danger…"

Kakashi inclined his head to the side. "I'll protect Naruto."

"Good," she nodded, quick to close this discussion, quick to disregard the idea of losing her adopted little brother, even if Kakashi would in no foolish way deem it dismissive and lacking of emotion; if anything else, it had to scare her silly. "On a completely unrelated note… Have you heard?" All previous conversation forgotten for the time being, she tapped a finger against one particular document on her table and Kakashi only slightly leaned forward to read the upside-down words jotted down, before-

-a smile came over his face and his only visible eye curved happily. "Naruto is going to be ecstatic."

Tsunade afforded a half-hearted smile. "I know. It's been a while, after all. He's being punished at the moment, so he thinks me angry with him."

"Are you, Hokage-sama?"

"Mhm, frustrated, more like. Yamato wasn't happy when he got told to re-plant all the trees. After all, he's not an endless supply of chakra like Naruto and we haven't a person with such enormous chakra reserves as Naruto, but he accepted the ordeal. Of course, I needed to teach Naruto a lesson, but…" Smug, she leaned back, amusement flickering in her eyes and parched lips moistened with a quick swipe of her tongue; in a sense, Kakashi thought her as great a rascal as Naruto at times. "Keep him busy for a while, won't you?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama. Only two days left, am I right?"

"Now, now, Kakashi, don't ask me questions to which you know the answers already."

No impertinent behavior with her then. Kakashi nodded, the idea of Naruto's radiant smile filling him with similar brimming light; he was, after all, their little sun and Kakashi couldn't think of one person to knowingly will him hurt… Well, there was, probably, ONE, just one someone… Regardless.

Naruto was in for a good surprise. Hopefully, Sasuke's unruly behavior didn't turn him dead until then.

* * *

><p>A cold bottle touched his cheek. Crouched at the river bank, Naruto looked up; Sakura was standing there, grinning wolfishly and no longer furious with him, apparently, instead an amiable aura surrounding her frame. Finding it contagious, he returned her grin, scooting away to free more space for her – ridiculous, for sure, as wasn't the entire river bank rumored a few miles long unoccupied for most part, offering her many sensible makeshift seats to choose from? – and grabbed the offered bottled juice with glee.<p>

"Thanks, Sakura-chan. This helps!"

She chuckled, amused, finding his antics hopeless, maybe, but he liked to think he was cute. Eagerly, he unscrewed the cap and took a heart gulp from the drink, its lemony flavor not too rich but neither too bland, nearing the lukewarm area in this impenetrable heat – but pleasant.

"How's the work going?"

"All's finished!" he reported, grin even broader.

Teasingly, she huffed and poked him in the shoulder with a long, outstretched and elegant finger. "Is it? You didn't slack off, did you? After all, what kind of a punishment would it be?"

"Cheeee, Sakura-chan, not fair." He squinted both eyes at her, lips still wet from the juice he'd drunk and lower lip protruding comically over the other.

She laughed. "Alright, alright. You did your job… Good! After all, you did deserve it, you know?"

"Che, no need to chastise me… I know, I know. Bad Naruto, bad, ruining forests and such, hurting their feelings. We have tornados and random demons for that purpose! What were you thinking? Tut, tut, tut," he commented in an elevated tone, throwing his arms around and curious to see a few charming giggles bubbling from her throat.

"Shishou was right, you know. There were other ways. You just had to go final boss on Sasuke… But, well, let's say I think the punishment is over now. You were busy the past few days."

"Happily busy, might I add," he corrected and she looked at him, questioning that claim. Naruto snickered and averted his eyes from her, cradling the bottle on his lap and burying his feet into the grass beneath; green strands tickled with lightness his skin, friendly on touch and doing only as much as this. "It was nice, eh… I mean, you are my team, but with– him around-"

"Sasuke?"

"Sa-yeah… With him around, things feel kinda different. I don't know, Sakura-chan…"

Concern, heavy and pious, entered her voice. "The training, right? It was-"-she paused, maybe gathering her thoughts and using her utmost indirect knowledge of the language she had mastered to get across the message; already, Naruto knew she'd fail. "Well… Strange. Him attacking you like that… And it wasn't directly attacking you, just like-"

"Mocking me?"

"Taunting, too, yeah." Tightly, the almost woman gritted her teeth, or-no, she was a woman already. In comparison to her, he was the child… Huh, how sad to admit these things to himself. Maybe one should wonder what exact misgiving would have him belittle himself this much in own eyes – and in the presence of the sweet flower, but then one had far too little time for matters as delicate as this and Naruto gladly forgot about it, focusing back on the melodic and worrisome words escaping past Sakura's cherry lips. "I'm not sure what happened there, Naruto… He was… He was Sasuke, in a way, exactly as I'd remembered him; dark, somber, mysterious… I used to dream of solving him. I made him my own private cubic box and thought I could figure him out… Now, many, many years later, things haven't changed."

Tender wind blew by, tender in its intricate knowledge of her and her deepest thoughts, whisking the hair from their properly tucked place behind her ears and making all strands float in a blind faith by her eyes, shielding her exact expression from him.

Naruto sat back and smiled. Nah, didn't need to see it to know… Didn't need to.

"I feel so foolish now, Naruto… So foolish… I thought I could touch his heart… Now, I am not sure what exact delusion led me to believe that."

"You weren't delusional. Just-"-problem, hurry; was it "you were" or "you are", was it suggesting she still harbored romantic feelings for him, enamored with the walking enigma, or should he point to a lack thereof, to something he found himself hoping she'd willingly thrown away along the way-"in love. Just in love."

Breath held, anticipation constricting his heart, he waited for the response, for anything-

"I guess I was in love… With Sasuke. Maybe, in a way, I still am, but with my Sasuke… The Sasuke from my dreams. Hah." She let out a short laugh. "That Sasuke that never existed. Ah, Naruto." As she leaned back, Naruto saw the most tranquil of masks pasted onto her face, the youth he'd never paid heed to now a formidable foe that stood in direct opposition to everything rational. "Well-oh, look at me. I'm so helpless." Bashfully, she grinned and swatted at him. "I mean, you were the one that-still, even to this moment, you seem to suffer the most from Sasuke's blows and here I am, the weak and whiny girl complaining about guy problems."

Naruto snickered, even if in his heart he felt the constrictions strengthen, her implication of the truth, however unwitting and indirect, hurting him. "It's okay, Sakura-chan. I am- we are friends, aren't?"

"More than just friends. Close friends, Naruto."

"Yo. I'll drink to that."

"Don't be a fool." Lightly, she punched him into the shoulder. "It's just me, Naruto. Relax."

"Hah… You saw right through that, no?"

She smiled. Sad. "After all this time, Sasuke hasn't changed one bit and if so – only for the worse. But some people did change… I did. I'm no longer that girl that would have strung you up by your feet. Now… Now I like to think I'm finally a good person."

Naruto gulped. Sakura's words were… Belated. A belated birthday present, but heart-warming nonetheless and he was overcome with a suicidal temptation to put his hand over hers. It… Was-would be alright, no? The war was over, she had grown, admitted to being different. Sas-he was back, for the better or worse, and suddenly Naruto was aware of the wide assortment of opportunities spat out at him from the desolate vacuum to have sucked all in years prior to the start; now, he could get close, could pursue more… Maybe, maybe this time, Sakura would listen to his heart… Maybe this time, she could try to listen.

_Okay. Let's give this a shot._

Carefully, he lifted a hand-nearly choked because she noticed and watched it in silence, but he didn't want to be the coward so, blushing furiously, he placed it on top of hers and-"I think you're more than that, Sakura-chan. You're a fantastic person. I couldn't wish for a kinder, warmer friend than you… You are-you really are warm, smart… You should give yourself more credit, ne?"

She stared him deeply in the eye, assuming an objective outlook on his empty words, on these willful promises of things he hoped for and things never to trespass and become real, but then, then, just then, just as he was about to sigh inwardly and strike out his future with her, she moved and placed her hand on his, cheeks tinted pink, eyes tender.

"Thank you, Naruto… Hearing this from you somehow makes me really happy." Awkward and sheepish, nervous like he, she laughed and Naruto's little heart did a number of life-threatening somersaults that could have him bed-ridden forever and ever, but this was only the best thing he'd experienced since-

"Oh, OH! Oh, god."

Sakura's sudden yells came as jolts and her hands were gone, the warmth dissipating and Naruto for naught hoped to cling onto it. "What, what, what?"

"Naruto, surprise!"

Uncomprehending, he blinked. "Eh?"

"I was meant to tell you and, well-you were so busy you didn't even notice. Typical Naruto, so dim-witted."

"… Jeez, Sakura-chan, thank-you."

"Not that, you fool. Gaara is in Konoha!"

"… Wh-… G-… Gaara?" The puny heart forgot about Sakura and her lips, temporary touches and existence easily replaceable, instead sprouting miniature wings signed "Gaara" and making a beeline for the skies, a multi-colored rainbow the trail it left behind. Naruto-squealed. "Gaara!" And jumped to his feet, _ecstatic_, also oblivious to the bottle he accidentally kicked over.

Sakura laughed out loud. "Yes, Gaara. He came earlier today, even requested to talk to you, but you were working hard and, well, we thought you'd notice but you were doing something for once and Kakashi-sensei thought you would realize eventually… And, correctly, might I say, I doubted that."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, starry-eyed, love-struck and giddy as a fu-"Oooh, man… I haven't seen Gaara in ages. Well, since the last battle… Jeez, feels like eternity. Is he still, er, free? Still in Konoha? Can I go talk to him?"

Like the lady she was – a convenience – Sakura stood to her feet, dusting her clothes off, straightening out the creases and even gathering the despairingly empty bottle of juice in one hand, the spilled sweet liquid forgotten in the favor of indulging him. "Mhm, you can. Before I came looking for you, Gaara, I mean-Kazekage-sama said that you were welcome to talk to him any time. Of course, not any time, since he is leaving tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. So…"

So.

So.

Naruto stared. "What… Am I doing here?"

"Eh?"

"Let's go!"

Pumping a fist into the air, he ran off-

-then skipped right back, deadpan. "… So, uh, where is Gaara?"

Sakura patted him on the back. "No rush, I'll take you there."

"Yosh!"

PAGE BREAK

Gaara's siblings slash protectors slash secret stalkers slash best friends had tagged along too. No problem there, only – they had come to respect Naruto. Again, no problem, just that – because of that, they thought to indulge him in a conversation and while Naruto couldn't say he had anything against either, considering them two strong respectful jounin that would lay down their lives for their brother and leader, they were stealing his precious Gaara time from him and that was starting to get very frustrating; Gaara was on the other side of the door and instead Temari liked to point out their borders were secured well and they'd not encountered any self-proclaimed roaming vigilante groups, and Kankuro, on the other hand, was commenting on Naruto's growth and saying their fellow nin ought to spar in the future, because, hey, war buddies, enforcing cooperation and such, but-

"Look, guys, I don't really want to stop this awesome conversation we have going on," said Naruto, brows twitching in a suspicious manner suggesting irritation. "But I actually do."

Temari chuckled. "So eager to speak to Gaara, right?"

Kankuro shrugged. "Jeez, we don't get many chances to speak and I thought it appropriate to speak to the Konoha hero. But alright, alright, whatever, get going. Gaara's just as eager."

Both stepped aside, freeing the path to the door and Naruto didn't hesitate, much like a child chasing after the candy hopping inside the room through the door either sibling opened for him, and coming onto a room Konoha nin must have prepared in hurry; little furnished it was, not a place suitable for a leader of one nation, lacking even in the cozy and homey feeling that ranked as first on Naruto's list, but the mere fact it just happened to house someone special to him made him eager to forget about the inadequate accommodation.

Of course, Gaara was there, stood against the window like a social recluse hoping to acquaint himself with the curtains and walls but as the door closed and Naruto with confidence and delectable pieces of joy stepped further inside, the other turned and the face seldom used for the purpose of communication melted like chocolate on sun, like sugar on a heated pan, or like savory food on tongue, melted like butter on a warm skin and like Naruto's heart when he saw the unprecedented and unbidden warmth on Gaara's face.

The room, the situation disregarded – it felt like coming home to a place closest to his heart and most secure in the world, to own private heaven and Gaara was the portable sanctuary, the only actual person to have ever… ever…

"Gaara…"

The red-head left the window. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Laugh. "Just Naruto." Boldly, he stepped towards him, hesitating right before reaching the figure, because-_uh, do I hug him or not?_

Thankfully, Gaara solved this for him.

By embracing him.

Under his breath, chin on Gaara's shoulder, Naruto snickered. "Man, it's so good to see you again. And finally under circumstances where neither is a weapon."

Fondly and delicately, as if fearing to shatter him, Gaara's hand left a number of solid pats on Naruto's back and the embrace was broken by both at once stepping away, a mutual agreement awarding both with equal amount of power in their friendship.

Feeling a bit ashamed, Naruto lightly scratched his cheek, yet still beaming at Gaara. "Heard you requested to speak to me?"

"I wanted to see my friend," replied Gaara simply.

Naruto's joy grew, becoming uncontrollable. "Nice, the kind of thing best to hear. Anyway, so, fancy scaring the daylights out of everyone?"

Gaara humored him. "What do you have in mind?"

With a Cheshire smile and a confident strut, Naruto walked towards the window, pushing the curtains apart, opening the window wide and then doing the "ladies first" gesture and motioning at the sleepy Konoha. "Feel like enjoying the fresh evening air, Kazekage-sama?"

Idly, Gaara looked outside, before appearing helpless against Naruto's persistent nature. "Naruto, the city will be in uproar… Kazekage abducted from his chambers… Do you have any idea what the consequences will be?"

"I'm not stupid," protested Naruto then flashed him an enormous grin. "… I mean, you just named them, didn't you? Tee-hee."

For a brief moment, Gaara looked pensive, all humor having left him, but then he lifted a hand to his mouth to stifle the hearty, truly helpless laugh. "Naruto… Lead the way then. I am your guest."

"Of honor!" added Naruto, stepping aside. Wisely, Gaara discarded his hat, only the Hokage robes billowing in the muddy night as without wasting more time, he stepped outside the window, Naruto right behind him. Together, sneaky two McSneaks and self-proclaimed heroes of an untold story, they climbed up to the rooftop from where Naruto's loud whoops of joy and victory echoed and where Gaara hardly contained his growing amusement. Under this promising light of a better tomorrow, they gloated, basking in the presence and warmth of each other.

Naruto deluded himself into believing the playful side of Gaara stumped at its birth had not entirely shriveled up, rather residing in the furthest corners of his mind where he, Naruto, was making its existence a possibility, for he was drawing it out, cookies and all world's brightest, greatest temptations still up his sleeve. Like someone once burned twice shy, it crawled out one step at a time and Naruto watched it with such pride that several moments later-

-Gaara had the dignity to blush, shrinking away under the intensity of Naruto's stare. "This feels..."

"Liberating. That's the word you were looking for."

"Liberating," repeated Gaara. Maybe he was thinking of arranging a future to revolve solely around the concept of liberation, or maybe – he would make a survey, walk from one home to another, asking for their opinion on liberation and its truest shape and form, on its impact on the world, and maybe he'd test the limits to see how exactly liberated he was. "Liberating, indeed. Are you liberated, Naruto?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Are you really… Something tells me you're not."

"Rumors are rumors, Gaara."

"No, it's not a rumor." Gaara approached the edge of the unnecessarily tall building, looking down at the houses that resembled lentils in a lentil soup, and contemplated something. "You speak of liberation. I hear people speak of things they lack. To what extent this is true, I haven't found out yet. Do you have liberation, Naruto? Everyone is free, but not everyone realizes this freedom."

Naruto with eyes watery – why are you watery? – stared at Gaara's back. Wordlessly, he tip-toed to him, careful or intently silent, until side by side they stood and the weight of Gaara's words unintentionally turned against him stung enough to elicit the contortion of his features. "Yeah… Do I have it? Hm, I don't know, not right now."

"You had it before. How come you're suffering from an absence of freedom now?" Just lightly like a breeze the words touched him, but they cut deeper than any wound he'd suffered in his life.

Answering required meticulous precision, preparation, rigid despair and the pinch of honesty stirred and added as the last and most delicate ingredient. Naruto observed the stillness of the silence, the dull streets devoid of life and all the people sleeping in the recently renovated homes, gathering more strength for the days to come and all that in a need of recovery. Deep in thought, he didn't notice the movement to his side. Until Gaara's hand was on his neck and under this blanket of darkness that hugged them close, the touch was equivalent to a lover's hand gliding along the length of his arm in a gesture more intimate than any part of him could handle.

"What happened, Naruto?"

"Huh…"

"Is it the Uchiha?"

"Sa… Yeah. It's him alright."

Gaara didn't repeat his question. Naruto appreciated it, but the pressing of the time wasn't nearly as agreeable as he'd have thought. "It's… Okay, well. You wouldn't believe me if I told you-actually…" He looked down. His hands had not changed, still the fingers long, the skin tanned, all taut and lean, possessing an ethereal quality, as if saying – we can touch the world, we can ultimately reverse all evil and become anyone. But then – he saw another set of fingers pressed against his, and a thin wall of glass separated the fingertips from directly pressing into his, from making the contact and he – feared that touch, feared the possibility… For the first time since it happened, Naruto was admitting to being scared, for on the other side of the mirror, Sasuke's image resided.

Through the looking glass he could never go, as just the man waited for him there.

Shaken, troubled and feeling a creation of void in heart, Naruto balled the hands into fists. "In reality, I don't believe it myself, what happened, that-thing."

"Did he hurt you?"

"I think… I think we hurt each other. Worse. What's worse than hurting each other, Gaara?"

Gaara's expression was not of this world. "I've hurt one too many in my life, Naruto. Despite that, I don't have the answer."

A tremor went down Naruto's spine. "Right. What's worse, huh? I think… I think I know. It chills me to the bone… Ya know, I mean-I can't tell you, right? It'd be like making it real and it wasn't real, couldn't have been real, I can't believe-what am I more horrified by? The fact he'd have let it happen or that… that I would have? Which one is more frightening? I don't know, Gaara and it feels like I can't ever know, can't suspect a thing because if I do, what will I do then? What will I do with that reality? I just… It didn't happen. Because if it did, then… Then I think we… We."

"Naruto…"

The hand was unclenched again, gathering wetness. Naruto sobbed. "I think we broke each other."

Gaara, oh Gaara… So lacking of knowledge in this area, yet – with the hand on Naruto's hair, with the silence and the eyes understanding – what more could have Naruto asked for? He didn't cry. At least – he liked to think he had a will built sturdy enough to find little reason to cry about this, but the memory of their bodies sliding against each other, stripped of all individuality and melted into one sensuous, heated, gruesome moment when he'd not known where his mind had ended – and Sasuke's begun… Was too potent, uncouth. Behind his eyes, the scenery was too real; from another realm it could have arrived, a strange, alien force bearing news of the future – the real one hiding behind the closed doors, and now presented to him – no silver plate, no waffle, no sweet-talking and beating around the bush – Naruto was forced to become the mediator, teetering already too close to losing his mind.

Eventually, they sat down and didn't take a midnight stroll as Naruto had planned for them-

-eventually, that was proven wrong for a painstaking hour later Gaara stood up, offered Naruto a hand and wordlessly led him some place else, and they reached the outskirts of the city and the forest that had gone through much redecoration thanks to Yamato, and up in the tree tops far above the ground they stopped and sat down and the change of scenery was as lulling as it was haunting, a melody in the leaves, in the wind, in the visceral life all around, in the waft of memories.

Gaara slept this time. In reality, despite the many varying missions Naruto'd walked through and places he'd wandered to, he'd not had a moment like this before, when with a friend dear to his heart, for once thinking of no altercations, repercussions and such, he talked into the deep of the night and then fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Temari thought of screaming at the top of her lungs, but wouldn't that be admitting the very thing they'd been warned about? Instead, she seethed. Inwardly.<p>

Even Kankuro shared this sentiment, but he handled it with concision outward. "Huh, should have known… Damn it, Gaara, this is honestly not the time." He sighed. "Where do you think they've gone off to?"

"Definitely not far, Gaara doesn't know Konoha well and he wouldn't simply leave."

"Right." Kankuro placed his hands on the windowpane and glared at the dark night, as if hoping to glimpse one red-head and a blond parading around, but seeing as that was ludicrous and he did not expect that at all, he let out a half-sigh, half-laugh and turned back to Temari. "Should we go look for them?"

Temari scoffed. "Well, it's stupid to just leave like that, Gaara should know better, but I do admit he's had little time to himself lately. And, besides, he has a thing for Naruto."

"And they're friends."

"And there's that, yes."

"So."

Temari smirked and shrugged. "Oh, well, we just didn't find them, did we? We'll have to look for our wayward Kazekage-sama tomorrow."

Entirely too amused, both left the empty room and relied on no greater agenda acting a threat to Gaara's life.

* * *

><p>A blanket of languorous drowsiness covered in a thin layer of luminance the forest. Gently, Naruto's eyes fluttered open to the light of the day, incapable of recognizing the surroundings at first, before the memories of the previous night and the many hours spent chit-chatting away at own leisure flooded his mind. At once, a smile was conjured up on his face and like a child, he rubbed his eyes and sat up, looking to his right to see Gaara too had woken up, found in the exact spot as previous night and the dark circles under his eyes much diminished. Like this, he appeared like any other teenager and person and for a while Naruto's mind was keen on forgetting this here was a man of tremendous power and responsibility, one word to decide the fate of all people in one country; Gaara was not the Kazekage, not the man responsible for the future lives or deaths of thousands of people, but a friend leaning against the tree trunk, as languidly drowsy as this early morning, as content with the situation as Naruto. This way, life appeared a lot easier to handle on any level and – Naruto found himself wishing it was always like this. Alas, world wouldn't function in a generally appeasing way, for it was not meant to help one survive… That, Naruto knew, was solely up to him.<p>

Slowly, both moved from their positions and the reawakening brought out Gaara's Kage, an aura of strength enveloping his figure lovingly like a mother's embrace, until he was on his feet, making strange, confused faces; probably, he'd not had a moment like this and Naruto patted his back joyfully, before jumping off the branch. Above him, Gaara's lips twitched into an amused smile and he followed him down.

There, Naruto yawned and put his hands behind his head. "Aah… Haven't slept this well in ages. Granted, your siblings are going to have my head."

Gaara was about to reply back in a diplomatic manner, maybe responding they'd be content with screaming and fuming only, but right then both sensed people approaching them and slowed down out of curiosity, barely reaching the edge of the forest, clearing laid out in front of them in all its early morning glory – and there on its far end, the perpetrators showed.

At once, the curious tidbits of peace Naruto had felt prior vanished.

Sure enough, there was Temari, marching onwards like a general into the battlefield, and Kakashi walked briskly next to her, mumbling apologies in her ear and looking even from this distance like a man in the verge of bellowing "oh, screw this shit", packing all his bag and baggage and leaving this mess as soon as possible. Probably, he'd been yelled at before and had had just enough of this charade… And explaining why it wasn't crime against nature to drag the Kazekage out for a small walk. Naruto grimaced – and then his eyes rested on the two in tow; Sakura had her head down, glaring daggers at him even from the distance and next to her, almighty, glorious, unperturbed by the happenings around and a shimmering aura of alienation attached to his skin, walked Sasuke.

Immediately, Naruto tensed.

For reasons unknown, Gaara shook his head – but moments later, Naruto thought he knew; he was warned against acting, warned against acting out on any survivor's instinct already acting up and they stepped forward to meet the merry party mid-way, and Gaara, the entire time, remained an essential part of him that wouldn't let go, the waves of support emanating from him strongly enough that – Naruto's features relaxed.

Finally, just a few feet apart, Temari's heavy sigh rocked around the air. "Oh, god… Gaara… Was this necessary? And you, Uzumaki!" She pointed a finger at him but then gritted her teeth, appearing infuriated for a moment before relenting and releasing her anger. "UGH! Whatever, I mean, I get you're friends and all that, but next time could you just remember to let us know ahead or something of that sort? Or return? Is it asking that much?"

Naruto grinned – by force, for something was making that grin falter, something pointed and seething-"Aw, come on, it was a surprise meeting!"

"Surprising meeting or no, Naruto," interfered Kakashi. "It was still a dangerous decision to make. You realize someone could have attacked you."

"Always, always," muttered Naruto offhandedly, ignoring that jab at his responsibilities again. "You know Gaara is strong."

"And so are you," admitted Kakashi, bemused. "Despite that, Hokage-sama is angry with you."

Naruto's merriness disappeared. "Oh… Is she going to yell?"

It was Sakura's turn to talk; she stepped forward and a bit too close, giving the impression fists would start flying and instinctively, Naruto stepped away – but she didn't go for his face, didn't exactly make a move to profess her affection for anger in this particularly volatile way, rather keeping her distance from– Naruto's eyes almost landed on His figure.

"Well, no, but she wasn't happy," said Sakura, hands crossed over his chest, muscles tense. "She said she'd expected something like this but wasn't happy you'd just abducted the Kazekage."

"I wasn't abducted." Gaara's soft voice snapped everyone's attention to him. "I suggested it on my own. Should anyone have a problem with this, I will apologize for my actions publicly. I had no intentions of worrying anyone, believe me, it was only out of my own selfish desire to speak to my friend that I momentarily discarded all my duties."

Temari appeared torn, yet understanding at once, sympathy and unfiltered adoration filling her eyes. "Alright, alright, Gaara, we know that. And you didn't worry us that much, it was just-"

"It's alright," interrupted her Gaara, eyes narrowing, downcast and pitying. He turned to Kakashi. "I understand. I will speak to your Hokage and explain it to her."

Kakashi's only visible eye widened. "Ah, well, she doesn't really need to hear it, in all honesty; she is already aware of the closeness between you and Naruto, but I'm sure Naruto here will appreciate it."

Ever so polite, Gaara nodded his head. "Thank you."

Then, the situation was resolved, but a particular phrase appeared to heavily linger in the air and as Naruto took a deep breath, the oxygen clogged his veins for a short moment. At that moment, he become aware of the – eerie.

That eerie which Uchiha Sasuke freely redistributed all around, not a scrooge for once in regards to sharing his thoughts and in Naruto's veins, the blood boiled and rage he didn't know he possessed surfaced.

Cheekily, he pointed his chin at Sasuke and furrowed his brows. "I understand why Temari and Kakashi-sensei are here, even Sakura-chan, but what's he doing here?"

Sasuke lowered his head, staring at him, for all intents and purposes, with hate.

Naruto drew his lips back, the teeth revealed.

Sakura jumped in his line of sight, blocking Sasuke from his view. "Um, he tagged along. Right, Kakashi-sensei?"

Confused, Temari blinked, looking between Sasuke and he, but Kakashi understood. "Yes. He was looking for you, in fact, weren't you, Sasuke? Besides, you know he's not allowed out of my sight for longer periods of time." Without pretenses, he revealed this bit of information and Temari soaked it all in, giving an understanding nod and tagging to stand by Gaara's side. For her, the issue had been resolved and as she stepped out, she made her intentions of leaving with Gaara _now_ clear. Someone, however-

-would have none of that. Sasuke was giving him a look, head cocked to the side, the coldness in him all fake as the importune approach.

Naruto intended to ignore that, but Sakura, oh, Sakura… He loved her, but she-she just didn't know, had no idea, had not the inkling-

"By the way, did you spend the night here? With Ga-Kazekage-sama?"

-that… That what? Actually, even Naruto himself didn't know why a part of him had feared this moment when someone pointed out the obvious in a very "no shit, Sherlock" way; didn't understand why he'd wanted to avoid it so hard, so bad, so much when Sasuke didn't particularly react and, in fact, all the man did was blink. Slowly. Both eyes closing at once – held closed too long a time to make it suspicious – before opening.

Naruto's mind reeled back. "Um… Yeah. We slept together."

We slept together.

We slept together.

We. Slept. Together.

… _Shit._

Sakura turned bright red, Kakashi coughed into his hand, Temari's eyes turned as wide as saucers and Gaara just blinked, being far too socially inept to get the innuendo – or just immensely polite.

Naruto grabbed his head in his hands. "Not… Like that. We slept on that branch, there, there!" Wildly, he motioned at the branch, flailing around and becoming painfully aware of every little detail around, of the creases on his clothing, his disheveled hair, the expression of someone content he still wore on his face like a skin-tight fish-net shirt, of the pinked, tender flush on his cheeks and moisture on his lip, of the wrongness and all hidden implications-"It's not like that!"-but not of his own words. "Sasuke!"

Silence.

Pregnant silence.

The word bounced off everyone in turns, rebounding to Naruto and rummaging through his ears until finally reaching the brain that did a swift – POP – and he realized what he'd said.

People stared at him. Those long, questioning, unpleasant stares but namely – one that mattered the most and Naruto didn't understand why. He KNEW it wasn't meant to matter, knew it did NOT matter at all and his mind was playing tricks on him, screwing him over by twisting every piece of information around and the sense of awareness he'd felt before threw the front lights all on Sasuke, the others left for the darkness to feast upon until the awareness knew just him and no-one else.

Sasuke. There was Sasuke. No other soul. Gaara, Temari, Kakashi and Sakura were empty names with no significance, some strange china dolls, or figures from the Peking opera, beautiful, delicate, noses upturned and cheeks painted red, eyes so very lively you'd believe them ready to jump into life… But just dolls. And Sasuke was there, not the puppet master, not a master. Just Sasuke.

Sasuke, after all, would always be just Sasuke.

The mood changed. Echoes of the past arrived. This was the first time he had – directly or not – spoken of it to Sasuke. In his presence. With his attention on him, because they people didn't matter, for they suffered from delusions and Sasuke could only see him. Was this conceited? To think this, to think them – lowly in his eyes, to think all unbecoming of Sasuke's attention, to think this – to revel in it as well?

His parted lips, attempting to form more words and the damage had been done, the milk spilled and dried, no backtracking an option available.

And he felt ashamed, ashamed enough to further dig own grave, turn on his wheels and try to walk away, even if he did manage to glimpse the pity in Gaara's eyes as he did the math and this time, he didn't even try to understand-

-didn't also understand as suddenly there was a collective gasp – not Kakashi, no, not him, ever the silent man – and he was tugged back and Sasuke was holding him in place.

They looked at each other, consumed by own thoughts and the silence, not realizing a damn thing and Naruto – thought the warmth was pleasant… Ticklish. Thought-inducing. Peculiar. And… And.

Just pleasant.

Just like-

_-absolute pain touched him, stemming from the act of the forced coitus and the thoughts of HELP and GO AWAY running amok in his mind, but all ceased to a halt as the figure was enveloped by the light streaming inside and in its silver touch a look of condescending like appeared, directly interfering with the foul act and he could swear and swear and nothing more than that, that the pain went away and a something jolting, jarred and in uneven lines traveled up his spine; at that moment, what he felt – was a touch on his cheek, a ghastly touch of a person come back to his senses and utterly horrified and so, so very sorry, sorry enough to share the sentiment of the emotion and the warmth of his hand on his cheek-_

-back then.

Sasuke's hand slipped away. Over his shoulder, the dark eyes landed on the people watching them in bewildered confusion, minds simply incapable of putting the puzzle pieces together for Naruto knew the reality could never cross their minds, not in this world.

So he side-stepped around Sasuke, composure mildly regained. "I meant, uh…"

Sakura looked helpless. "Uh, Naruto? Um…"

_Ice-breaker. Need an ice-breaker. _

Naruto's brows twitched. "… Uh. Sasuke and I are-"

_In a relationship? UGH. NO. Friends. That… speak of such things? Do they even understand the implication? Why did I even start a sentence I can't finish, why-why-_

At that stupid moment, he looked at Sasuke for help, not knowing why he thought the man would speak on his behalf and come up with a plausible explanation, but then-

"A little over two weeks ago, Naruto and I had an argument. _That _you're all familiar with. The rest and whatever he was referring to are none of your business."

He'd hissed the last parts, a true snake remaining faithful to the last drop of blood to his nature, and he glowered at them in the way only he could.

He'd hissed a warning, a clear way of saying back off and it was easy to reach the conclusion Naruto had made a vague reference to the argument from weeks ago, easy to believe the simpler way of things this lie offered as a parting gift.

They seemed to believe it – maybe not to the smallest detail, but with their history, who'd ever doubt heinous things had been exchanged that would weigh them down? Naruto grimaced slightly, wondering if he ought to feel grateful to Sasuke for this or fear any future consequences biting him in the ass. After all, as much as he liked the pretentious world made up of woven lies and cobwebs of deceit, he knew – knew Sakura-chan was a girl smart and Kakashi a man observant, both in a possession of skills that would, in one way or another, in that desolate "the end" of the tale, make them find out.

Kakashi shook his head, said something to Temari and stepped away. Sakura was frowning, suspicion drawn in her eyes, but also a morose quality of distrust. She disliked Sasuke and firmly believed he'd hurt Naruto, hurt him… Naruto winced, casting a strange look in Sasuke's direction.

Angered by – what, something? What was it? – he put more distance between he and Sasuke, uncomfortable under the beseeching caress of Him and His warmth, and then the group was on its merry way home, Gaara and Temari in an intimate conversation. Naruto yearned to join them, stand by Gaara's side the way Gaara had stood by his last night, but those two shared the sibling bond foreign to his thoughts. Kakashi and Sakura were in the middle, guarding the Kazekage which left-

It was a beautiful morning. Flowers here and there, pollen floating in the air like miniature, premature snowflakes and sun doing a splendid job of reflecting all. The color coitus was – a consensual sexual activity, mutual, two-sided, eventful and bright, full of so many bright colors and simply – stark.

He walked by Sasuke, by He-whom-he-would-rather-not-see-again, but in his heart every eight beat would be dedicated just to him, haunted by the plaintive, abysmal memory they shared.

They needed to talk. About that. And this. And something else.

But as Naruto looked at him – and saw Sasuke's eyes directed back, meeting him mid-way with the similar eternal touch of confusion, he realized he couldn't ever. To speak of his greatest mistake and shame, of the time when all rational thought had slipped away… Maybe he'd fallen into own devotion, but Naruto thought – he'd just fallen for something else.

The magnificent, sick ploy of this universe.

Together, acting a group of buddies they weren't, they walked towards Konoha and the entirety of the time was wasted looking Sasuke in the eye, noticing the very deeply charcoal line of his hues, the dilation of the pupils and the occasional stray strand to float to and fro.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>The characters, story and other elements belong to their rightful owner, Kishimoto Masashi. I gain no profit from writing and publishing this on the Internet.

**Full summary:** See first chapter.

**Rating:** M as mature for sexual themes, violence, blood. Heavy shounen-ai, slash, eventual… We'll see if eventual SasuNaru or corpse-slash-corpse-in-mass-grave-because-they-killed-each-other.

**Warning:** Don't read if easily squeamish or if you're not mature yet to handle mature topics such as sex and… That strange sex they had. I'm saying it now – **no rape**. Just sex. Which makes what they had even worse. There will be swearing, HEAVY shounen-ai and much twisted stuff not suitable for children or those weak of mind. You have been warned.

**A/N:** I am back with another chapter, YAY! Ha-ha. Yeah, it was fun writing this, although I'm looking forward to different scenes… Hm, hm, hm, the things are still progressing a bit slowly at the moment, step by step but I also need to be careful with how I write Convalescence, because – one wrong step, and either Naruto or Sasuke could be driven insane by what they did. It's a very delicate matter and as such, it will be approached with utmost care… With that being said x)

I got reviews for the last chapter HA! THANK-YOU to all those that reviewed! And those that "just" read the last chapter… You get a thank-you not written in upperclass. Wooo, woo, how scary. Haha. Anyway. Do leave a review, yes? A few words will do, too, if you can't be arsed. And if you honestly can't be arsed to review. Well. Okay? I can't force you, but I love getting input, opinions and such; all those are much appreciated! x)

So review and rate, guys, let me all know what you think. (:


	4. Chapter 4

Convalescence, Chapter four

_The abandoned chase_

Sasuke was a strange man. Strange in a sense that made him impossible to approach, but as the world would have it, only Naruto could ever approach him. Right after Gaara left – after, no doubt, coming to some agreements with the old lady Hokage –, it was suggested to start taking missions again and even continue their training, but as the last one had been a fiasco, all approached it like a delicate matter deserving of being treated with utmost care. Actually, they treaded around him, around Naruto, as if fearful of his mental state and how the next training could impact him, taking really peculiar precautions that Naruto didn't exactly understand. First of all, when Kakashi and Tsunade decided to resume in training and start with D-rank missions, no-one from Team 7 was actually around and all received the news via mail. Strange. Naruto thought it stupid to avoid direct confrontation like this, since they'd need to meet regardless, but he appreciated it still, for the less time he spent around him, the better.

Until the moment when he got notified he would be picking up Sasuke. Apparently, it didn't contradict their logic in the least to have him go pick up the bastard and walk with him to the training grounds for a briefing, ostracized from the rest of the group for the painstakingly long twenty, thirty minutes that it took to reach the place. They had to think it such a good idea, because the walk would be peaceful and maybe the long minutes would award them with a feeling akin to peace during which neither would come to harm and things would be patched up. Slowly, eventually, but eventually.

Naruto wanted to punch them.

Brows twitching, features ticking and fingers itching to wring around someone's neck, he walked with an expression of someone meeting their greatest enemy to the Uchiha district. Still it struck him as weird that the Uchiha district had been least touched by Pain's attack from several months ago, but lady luck had a weird way of saying "you guys suck, but I still love you". And, anyway, there was no point in thinking about that – or, no place at all, given that the Uchiha district brought back memories he didn't ever want to think about again. Maybe, if they knew… If they suspected a thing, they wouldn't be doing this to him, forcing him to confront his demons – or just one specific Demon spelled with capital D as he was a menace deserving of that title in the least – but Naruto knew the consequences of that mistake would be nearly as dire as whatever they had… As whatever had pushed them to do it.

Right.

So no telling, no speaking… Just. He grimaced and hissed, figure slumping as he reached the front gate leading to the district, noticing the fresh paint on it and the look of something new someone had plastered upon the whole place not long ago; they were trying to reconstruct everything, push aside their past mistakes and rewrite the "mistake" as "misgiving", for that sounded nobler, simpler, lacking the prejudice and pain they'd put through the others, for in "mistake" was "stake", the stake at which the lives of many had been put, and "misgiving" had "giving", as in them giving themselves a second chance in life. A pity both were connected by "mis", as in the "miss" for they'd never hit the desired target and miss it for all eternity. Stupid, stupid people…

Naruto halted.

_Am I thinking like Sas-Him? … Nah. I'm not a bitter, vengeful bastard like he._

Troubled by the thought of that, Naruto quickly composed himself and looked forlornly towards the gate. His figure was to appear from behind it in a few and they had but a few minutes that could decide if they'd be late or early. Naruto had already planned the quickest route possible and knew he'd be torn between running and running the whole time. Still, well… He sighed.

At that moment, Sasuke appeared.

Clad in black, his testimony of what he considered his current situation to resemble, he emerged from the district, the gate closed and measured nonchalance in his step. Even he knew Naruto was taking him there… Taking him, because the Uchiha boy needed to be supervised. Naruto grumbled something incomprehensible under his breath and turned away.

"Let's go," he hollered and, without waiting, set out.

It wasn't a thing to argue about and the silence was expected. Ten unpleasant feet apart, they walked and the wider the street the greater the distance, unconsciously widened by either party at strange intervals. Early in this morning, few blocked the streets and fewer expressed any interest in their affairs, but then people started appearing only a few minutes in and Naruto wanted to curse, for in their presence he knew he was meant to get as close to Sasuke as possible for, god forbid any random homicidal urgings that could make Sasuke slice and mince them like vegetables.

So, cutely, but shamefully, he shuffled closer, hoping he wasn't pouting about the whole thing because as a man, he shouldn't pout!

They walked by a child that automatically mirrored the expression he was making.

By pouting.

Naruto glared at it.

But it worked to wipe the expression off his face. Three feet apart now, they walked, neither having said a word since and Naruto was starting to get just tiny bit desperate. Whenever he'd walked there on his own or with Sakura-chan, it had felt like seconds, but this had to be taking hours, right? Wait, look up at the sky! Oh, the sun was still in its "early" position. Curses. That meant…

_I am going to die here. With him. On this road. Forever cursed to walk down this road and never reaching our goal… Aaahhhhhh, Kakashi-sensei, Baa-chan, what were you thinking?_

Grumpy, he eyed Sasuke from the corner of his eyes, the stoic façade escaping his attention for the time being but – something catching it and, wolfish, Naruto blinked.

Hands stuck in his pockets, he motioned with his hip at Sasuke. "Oi, where's your forehead protector?"

Lazily, like he couldn't have cared for the world, Sasuke rolled up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing the protector carelessly tied around the bicep.

Naruto scoffed, making various faces ranging from condemning and reproachful, to enraged and eventually the poker-face. "It's a forehead protector for a reason, you know. Forehead protector as in forehead, yeah?"

Sasuke kept staring ahead. "Sakura wears hers around her head."

"That's different!"

"How?"

Naruto thought. Okay, how is it different. Hm, hm, hm… How? Well. Well! "Because you're a dick."

Sasuke froze, halting mid-step.

_Uh-oh._

Naruto made a face and shrugged, walking onwards like he'd not noticed the sudden glare of impending doom and the "you're going to die in three-two-one-now" look Sasuke was sending in his direction, but a moment later he forced himself to stop and turn at Sasuke, expecting said glare and even worse and prepared to deal with anything head-on. Sasuke, however, was wearing a different expression, one reminiscent of dark, volatile amusement.

That… Wasn't good. That made Naruto's stomach lurch around, mad with expectations and violent in the way it intruded on his private thoughts, those tucked away to preserve his sanity for this look Sasuke was sending him – reminded him of the days from four years ago, when kinship between them had prevailed.

_Stupid, stupid Naruto, getting your hopes up. Just don't._

He huffed, pouting his lips voraciously. "What, Sasu-chan don't like being called a dick? Pfft. deal with it."

"Sasu-chan" had yet to speak, but if body language accounted for something, then he was having an unspeakably vocal conversation Naruto was unwillingly partaking in. Certainly, he had narrowed his eyes, lowered his head for a reason…

Naruto blinked. "Oh, we're going to be late. Let's get going."

_Whoosh._

An invisible force pushed past him and Naruto stared blankly ahead, eyes growing wide and the feeling of wrongness showering his forehead in sweat. The empty forehead. That-he snapped his eyes at Sasuke who stood several feet in front of him, clutching in his hand Naruto's forehead protector.

Languidly, Sasuke lifted it to his eye-level, arrogance in every move – even in that simple bat of his eyelashes and eyes that soon shifted to land on him. "Is this it, Naruto? Is this your pride? If so, did I just take your pride from you, your everything?" A snarl. Sasuke had snarled. In a cold, Sasuke-like, primal and challenging way.

Naruto outstretched his hand. "Give it back."

"No."

"What?"

"Take it."

Sasuke took a few steps back.

Naruto shook. "Give it back."

"'Return to me what you stole', is that what you're trying to say?"

Naruto's lips formed a snarl. "Give it back…"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, a smirk curving his lips.

Naruto snapped. "SASUKE!"

Sasuke jumped up and Naruto obediently followed him to the rooftop where he launched himself at him but Sasuke ducked. In ragged, anger-controlled motions, Naruto attacked him, hands lashing out like viper trying to ensnare its prey, but Sasuke was faster, more graceful, dodging each and every without a sweat and Naruto's anger rose-

-but then Sasuke was running away, backwards, still facing him in an elaborate and blaring taunt.

Naruto paused, staring him down, blood boiling and something in him – excited. He smirked. "Fine, have it your way." Lips drew back, teeth revealed themselves, flashing danger, offensive posture assumed and that something bubbling from excitement – roused to skyrocket to impossible heights.

Ahead of him, Sasuke cocked his head to the side, if saying "you can't ever reach me".

Without further ado, Naruto chased after Sasuke.

* * *

><p>Sakura's lips turned upside down. "Kakashi-sensei, are you sure it was a good idea to have Naruto fetch Sasuke?"<p>

Next to her, Kakashi was indulging himself in his book again, but she could tell his eyes weren't skimming over the lines, glued to the same page for the past half an hour. "If there's someone who can touch Sasuke's heart, it's Naruto."

Suspicious, Sakura's eyes narrowed and she ignored the consenting grimace on Sai's features speaking of whole-hearted agreement. "I know that, I know what effect Naruto has on people, but I'm not sure it's going to work on Sasuke. It's Sasuke, after all."

Lazy to reply and counter her claims, Kakashi feigned interest in his book, flipping idly a page in the book. "I understand where you're coming from, Sakura, but Sasuke isn't nearly as immune as we'd all like to think, or as he'd like to believe. In the past, Naruto was the only person Sasuke formed a coherent bond with."

Pointedly, Sakura ignored the pang of hurt spurred by his truthful words.

_That's right, Sasuke and I had never been proper teammates. Never. It was only about Naruto._

"I get that, Kakashi-sensei, but despite that-"

"I know." Kakashi looked up at her, face solemn. "Can you think of anyone in the world who could change Sasuke's mind?"

Sakura stared at him, unwilling to shake her head, but – that was the only option she had left. Slowly, eyes brimming with emotions, she did so, a slow, curt shake of her head following.

"I don't want any harm to befall Naruto. He's gone through enough. For Sasuke, for everyone. He doesn't deserve more pain."

Under the mask, Kakashi's face was of grief. "I know, Sakura, that's something no-one wishes upon Naruto. It's sad we're leaving the entire burden on Naruto's shoulders, but he has strong bonds and people to protect him."

"And help him," added Sai thoughtfully, earning himself a mildly annoyed yet exasperated look from Sakura.

Knowing there wasn't more to add – only further argue and cruelly bring up the matters of the past they'd all agreed never to speak of again – Sakura walked over to the bridge erected over the smaller stream, leaning against the railing and letting her thoughts coax her to the castles in the sky.

Moments later, an idle thought interrupted her musings.

"On the topic, they're ten minutes late. Where are Sasuke and Naruto?"

* * *

><p>Panting heavily, labored breathing overtaking his senses, Naruto slumped down to one knee and looked up. Mocking him still, Sasuke stood on top of the nearby building, but his cheeks appeared slightly flushed from this distance, making him a cute, dark-haired cheek pinkette with the cute part being an utter and absolute lie. Yet – he was breathing heavily too, that much Naruto could see, and weren't it for his black clothing, sweat stains would mark the exhaustion starting to reach him. To that, Naruto had to grin.<p>

He whipped his body back into an upright position, chest heaving up and down and droplets of sweat in anticipation trembling down along the curved jawline. Sasuke dangled the protector in front of him, fingers gripping the linen material with little care and eyes as dark and smothering as the memories flashing behind Naruto's eyelids.

This thing, this game, this running around for over half an hour, overtaking buildings in giant leaps and becoming free, jumping from one rooftop to another without stopping or thinking for a second and while becoming a slave to all visceral… Naruto smiled.

Sasuke, for that moment, appeared to change, suffering from thoughts Naruto couldn't place but he noted how his muscles rearranged themselves to portray trust, how his face melted somewhat until a semblance of consideration crossed it; weird it all was, not making sense but Naruto flexed his arms above his head, squatting down to make small stretching exercise, eyes not leaving Sasuke the whole time.

Moments later, stretching his arms as last, Naruto stood up and pointed a hand at the other. "What was it again? Oh, right… _Sasuke._ I am taking my forehead protector back. This time, I'm not holding back."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side and – cheekily, that piece of shit, tied it around his neck, wearing it like a necklace. "Holding back, Naruto, eh?" he murmured back in his dulcet tones, corners of lips spread back into a haughty smirk. "Don't hold back for my sake, Naruto. Go all out so you will understand that with me, you can only fall."

Naruto barked out a short, amused laugh, the words leaving a sound, ringing reaction in his mind. Muttering a soft "you wish, bastard" under his breath, he sent an amount of chakra into his feet, only cementing his persuasion – he needed to win. At any cost.

The chase resumed.

He bolted after Sasuke who ran away, still as before facing him the entire time and simply running back; maybe he remembered the layout of Konoha that well, but the city had been in ruins before so that was unlikely. Ultimately, it may have been just his own unprecedented high and almighty attitude that had him running backwards, for not even once did Naruto see the man tear his eyes away from him, not once. He thought he felt respect, admiration for that obscure skill, but then Sasuke's eyes flashed red, the Sharingan coming to life and Naruto shot towards him.

They clashed on top of a newly constructed building, ducking and diving back from every quick jab of a hand and Naruto saw the world become a blur of color and Sasuke a combination of black and night strangely easy to follow, but Sasuke was superior in hand-to-hand combat, always a step further in tactics and bursting all bubbles of disillusionment. A primitive snarl left Naruto lips and he thrust his body forward, foot slipping, torso angled forward-Sasuke caught him, an arm wrapped around his waist that quickly threw him back and down the building and onto the ground in an impact that would break a rib or two.

But a clone appeared, the jutsu executed faster than even Naruto himself realized it and then he met his counterpart's soft body that poofed a split second later and Naruto hit the ground. On the rooftop, Sasuke was staring down at him, a new generation flesh-devouring orchid. Naruto scoffed and formed more seals; under him, clones started appearing, pushing him up and into the sky until he was above Sasuke – and the clones poofed and Naruto fell right in front of Sasuke.

Right in front of him. In a movement not quick enough the man couldn't have dodged, yet Sasuke stood there, clam and unmoving, the inches that separated them snapped close as Naruto automatically reached out grab his protector and Sasuke's head followed the motion-

-until they were nose to nose and upon this realization neither moved.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Despite the tugging at his stomach, he did not budge.

_Sasuke, when was the last time we were this close? When was the last time I could properly look you in the eye?_

With his fingers grasping the metallic part of the protector, just one swift yank was necessary to put an end to this tale and finally start out his day the normal way, but he – could not, could not. With his tender, golden locks floating in the air – and making resounding impacts with Sasuke's raven tresses – he felt almost home, just almost home, like this here was the world he belonged to.

Sasuke moved.

Then, there was a hand wrapped around Naruto's wrist and his grip on the protector loosened, eventually slipping away entirely. Fingertips brushed against his. His heartbeat sped up considerably, a loud pitter-patter in his chest. Sasuke was pulling away, leaving along with the protector that didn't matter any longer as Naruto was starting to understand.

Further and further away, Sasuke was.

Naruto's eyes did not leave his, just as Sasuke's did not leave his.

_Is this is? You want me to chase after you? Because after all this time, only one thing stopped me? What are you thinking of right now? That you should have done it to me ages ago? That one small act like that would have put a stop to me chasing? Is this what you want… Sasuke?_

At the edge of the rooftop, Sasuke stopped- then turned his back to Naruto and surged away like a bullet and without thinking Naruto followed; this time, he knew the direction, for the houses disappeared, buildings shrinking away, trees growing out of nowhere until the training grounds slipped into sight, lined up before them neatly with the forest and the three little dots in the distance nervously tipping to and fro with their growing fears.

Naruto's eyes darkened.

_You know I can't let this one go, right?_

Sasuke looked over his shoulder.

_You DO know… Sasuke._

He didn't wait.

One last slanted building or a wall and Naruto thrust himself forward with all the might he had, gaining speed that Sasuke mid-air could not beat but Sasuke had turned to face him again, twisting his body in the air – how, how, how did he manage things like that? –, simply looking at him, one hand wrapped around the protector on his neck.

Naruto almost snickered.

Into the clearing they both materialized – materialized, for not Kakashi, not Sakura, not Sai had the time to react and blink, to see what was happening before there came Sasuke and there came Naruto, the wind still in their hair and whipping at their faces to turn them red and Sasuke still had the protector-

-and Naruto still had the desire.

In front of everyone and under those questioning, sequential gazes, he launched himself at Sasuke, performing a small dance of power with him and feeling like – he knew this, recognized this well. Among the fights he'd fought, enemies he'd encountered, blows exchanged, Sasuke's never disappeared from his mind, memorized down to a T until Naruto found himself dancing to a similar tune Sasuke played, following each and every sharp blur of a blow with a dodge and dive back and forth. Nothing was redundant. Everything was planned. And they were playing. They were thinking back to those days, revisiting their pasts, re-enacting that mischief they might have had once upon a time.

And which they lacked.

Naruto closed his eyes.

Abruptly, he stopped a punch aimed at Sasuke's stomach and threw himself at the man, the collision sending them toppling over onto the ground below where Naruto wasted no time, sitting up and grabbing the protector – and holding it.

He heard gasps and curses of his name and Sasuke's face expressing shock-

-and excitement as well.

He smiled, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, a pleasant rumble of words formed-"I win, Sasuke."

Under him, Sasuke looked at him, stray strands of hair all over his face, a gentle, feathery touch of the fight leaving him in an amiable position. He was straddling Sasuke, knees planted firmly by either side and he did not CARE.

The many "what"s and "but"s and such stopped. Naruto's smile widened. He wriggled on top of him and leaned down, untangling the protector – oblivious to how close to the face his own came, how strange they looked this way – and emerging victorious, said object grasped firmly on his hand.

They were being watched. Three intent stares.

Naruto smirked. Calmly, he put the protector down on Sasuke's stomach, using Sasuke as a temporary table, and he rolled the man's right sleeve up, removing his protector and then tying it around Sasuke's forehead, a finger here and there making contact and all wrongness in the world spirited away. Then, he put his own back up and met Sasuke's cold, unrelenting eyes, met the questions "what's the point" and the "this won't change a thing, Naruto" and all those other protests Sasuke could voice out without a need for movement.

"So I only ever fall, you said? Isn't it the other way around, Sasuke? I could never catch you, true, but you could never run away." He didn't stand up. Not yet. "Four years and not once could you ever run completely. Who's falling now?"

Why was it falling? Why not failing? Because not once had either failed.

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Kakashi looking at both Sakura and Sai meaningfully; an exchange had transpired moments prior to their extravagant entrance. Naruto looked back at Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes had changed. They were furious and man-eating.

He stood up, their proximity a curse and Sasuke stood up too and opposite each other, they stood, motionless.

It was Kakashi who dared interrupt, approaching Naruto and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto." Explaining to do? What happened? Is everything alright? Did he do anything to you? What did you do to each other? What's this all about? Did you finally warm up to Sasuke? Or? "If you two are ready, let's start the training."

Naruto wiped a ringlet of sweat from his face. "Done warming up, let's go."

He walked to the other two, Sasuke.

Right behind him.

* * *

><p>Sakura looked troubled. She knew that, but she hoped she didn't look nearly as troubled as she felt, though judging by the look Ino was giving her, she hoped in vain.<p>

Giving a small sigh, she conceded to Ino's worries and handed her a small clay flowerpot that Ino placed high on a shelf before turning to her, stood on the ladder with features contorted by worry.

"So, how did your training go today, Sakura?"

Sakura let out another sigh. "Kakashi-sensei had us duel each other. In turns, of course."

"Oh, how did that work out for you? I mean… With Sasuke?"

Sakura grimaced. "Here's the story… All was fine until it was Sasuke's turn to fight."

Ino gave her a wry grin. "Let me guess, he beat you all, eh?"

Insulted, Sakura huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, but as much as she wanted to claim she wouldn't lose against Sasuke, she knew it'd be a lie. "No, worse. He didn't fight. He downright refused! … Well, not downright. When it was my and Sai's turn to spar against him, he just kept dodging, all languid, graceful, uncaring… Kakashi had to call both fights off because Sasuke didn't even care to try. Of course, when it was Naruto's turn…"

Against her best efforts, the mind of hers immediately provided her with accurate flashbacks detailing that moment when Naruto stepped in, when Naruto and Sasuke shared a look and Sasuke, finally, took out a kunai and-"They fought, alright. Kakashi let them go at it for at least an hour before finally stepping in. I quite remember how Sasuke almost walked past him so he could attack Naruto again… Ugh, _guys. _Those two always had a thing for instantly going for each other's throat."

Ino carefully climbed down the ladder and both girls proceeded into main part of the flower shop, where the sign spelling "open" was flashing on the inside, signaling the store was, in fact, closed. Sakura eyed it sullenly, before sitting up on the counter where Ino or her parents usually made bouquets.

"Then, there are other things," she said after a while as Ino busied around doing other small chores.

"Other things? Like what? It concerns the two, no?"

Sakura grimaced. "Unfortunately. They're so weird together… I mean, okay, I admit, I didn't expect anything else. Naruto and Sasuke always had… How to put it-a thing for each other?"

Ino's hand stopped mid-way to grabbing a nearby daisy and stunned, she looked at Sakura. "… A thing for each other? As in-"-her voice dropped to a hushed whisper-"as in like _that_?"

Sakura opened her mouth to vehemently exclaim "no!" but then the mouth was snapped shut by a part viciously sensible and she realized-"I actually don't know. I mean-"-she went to add after noting the look of horror and gossip thirst on Ino's face-"You know how Gaara was in Konoha, right? Something quite strange happened, ugh. You heard, right, about Naruto 'abducting' Gaara?"

Ino nodded, eyes curious and wide. "Right. They're friends, no? So what about it? I hear that Naruto abducted Gaara into the night and both like forbidden lovers spent the night in the forest, undisturbed by this tremulous, cruel world…"

"Ino."

"What?"

"Don't read those trashy romance novels, they leave your brain in a mush."

Ino scoffed, cheeks reddened. "Hmp!" She returned to her work afterwards but Sakura knew the focus wouldn't last long.

She contemplated her next choices of words but quickly she realized how the language was to fail her at the given moment, possessing far too little knowledge on a matter as delicate as this to support the desire to speak in riddles. Eventually, she gathered her courage and said, in an elevated voice-"But yeah, exactly."

Ino dropped the flower she was holding and rounded on Sakura. "What?"

"Well, not like that… But yes, although it was Gaara who actually took Naruto to the forest. They stayed there over night."

Ino's eyes sparkled with delight. "Niiiiice, didn't know Naruto had it in him…"

Sakura glared at her. "Ino, stop making up things… And, honestly, do yourself a favor and STOP reading those novels! Anyway, that wasn't my point," she added in a calmer tone and Ino shrugged. "I wanted to say… Something odd happened, you know? And let me finish this time." Like a child, she swung her legs back and forth, heels impacting with the firm surface of the counter and eliciting dull thuds from it. "When Sasuke decided to tag along, it was weird, sure, but the weirder thing was? There was like a moment when Naruto had to be an idiot and exclaim that he slept with Gaara without thinking it over, slept with him as in on the same tree. Right? Strange thing about that was… He was looking at Sasuke." Her brows knitted together. "And even stranger-Sasuke was livid. I don't think anyone noticed, but I was standing the closest to him and I could tell he was livid, so very livid… I don't understand."

Confusion in her eyes, Ino stood up, all work discarded for the time being. In a low, cautious whisper, she asked-"Do you… Do you think that Sasuke and Naruto…?"

"No," Sakura replied through gritted teeth. "That's just impossible. I mean, we all know Naruto likes girls and it's not just his crush on me; he always liked them so… I don't think and-it'd be stupid to assume Sasuke liked anyone or anything with a heartbeat but, yes. So… It was weird."

Ino leaned against the counter, looking Sakura in the eye. "You say he was livid and no-one noticed? Strange, indeed… Why would he be livid and why would Naruto be saying that to him? … You know, trashy romance novels or not, this _does _remind me of, like, dozens of scenes from said novels, one less likely than the other."

"I don't want to hear it," muttered Sakura, annoyed at the repeated mention of the novels she considered beneath anyone's intellect level, but Ino here had a clear soft spot for inconsequential stories revolving around the two meant to forever be together and beat all the differences to stand in their way. Stupid things, there was no such a thing as meant to be together, even if… "I don't get it. I think-I think they were somehow referring to their fight from weeks ago. I still haven't asked Naruto about it and I'm not sure I should."

Genuinely curious, Ino blinked. "How so?" Then she realized something. "Also, didn't you say 'other things'?"

"What-oh!" Sakura instantly wished she'd kept her trap shut. "Well…" Speaking slowly, she shared the story of the unusual training start, of how Sasuke and Naruto had entered it mid-fight and finished it there, no care for their audience or the thought of homicide and death looming over their heads for however were they to ascertain the situation if not by an assumption Sasuke was set on killing Naruto? Sakura's voice on several occasions became deadly quiet and Ino was a patient listener, nodding when necessary, gasping and hurriedly whispering "no!" in disbelief whenever Sakura paused, until the story was concluded and Ino was staring at her.

"No."

Sakura stared back, brows twitching. "What do you mean no?"

Ino threw her arms around. "Total and complete no! No! I mean, ugh-are you not seeing it? Okay, trashy novels, I get it. But there is a portion of truth in those, I'll have you know. What makes them trashy is not the same subject, but the same approach and lack of originality, but in reality they portray a great portion of truth and reflect life and, well… I don't know how to put this, but what you just described?" Ino mulled it over for a bit, before grinning broadly in a way that smelled of "oh, screw this, I don't care how this sounds" and, so very suddenly, her features slipped into a façade of rigidity. "It's like they were lovers."

Sakura dismissed that absurd claim with one quirk of her eyebrow, but she could not dismiss the tone and the repugnant quality of the previous words, could not deny the situation bore an uncanny resemblance to the situations she'd heard of herself, to the stories of a passionate couple so deeply in love no hate of the outside world could ever graze them; forever to remain inclusive, they lived in a dimension separated from the rest of this world by a thick, red-shaded line drawn in a wide diameter around them, portable and blaring, begging for attention. But the idea of Sasuke and Naruto – two boys she loved to death, even if her feelings for the former had over time decayed – being involved in any similar matter was as primitive and lacking in logic as it was sound and startling.

Suddenly, the few instances she'd seen were making sense and her conscious mind easily dubbed them as lover's spat, but then-"How? When? I mean."

"Argument?" piped in Ino, wise and experienced, all trivia from her favored books muddled together to create a vivid picture of the two in an intimate embrace – or so Sakura thought, judging by Ino's face. "I think it is time to ask what went on during that argument from over two weeks ago… Or! Well." She gave a weak smile. "Of course it's absurd and it's still Naruto and Sasuke… I remember Naruto's fever for Sasuke, hah. I do think it could be just them being them, no?"

Sakura didn't even realize how mentally impaired she'd felt until Ino's voice carried a more plausible, sensible option and she latched onto it, eager at first, glad to see this cold rationality in her words, before realizing-"That is true."-that she'd essentially given a description of Sasuke and Naruto from four years ago, before the whole nightmare had started. Immediately, an influx of peace touched her mind. "What am I doing, eh? Fabricating stories? Oh, jeez… That does make sense. Sasuke and Naruto always… Always had a strange bond. I could never understand it, but back then I didn't deserve it."

"Deserve what?"

"The understanding? I was too bossy, too stupid, too shallow and too much like a child to understand an adult relationship because, you know, that's what they had." She smiled, bitter and glad at once. "They approached each other differently. At that time, I honestly didn't understand. Now, now it feels like I've finally grown up and can. Even if it feels like they're ahead of me again… I know." She was whispering now, this cruel reality heaving her down. "I'm not as powerful as they are. I never will be. There's no harm in admitting that in comparison to them, I am weak. Hell, even emotionally… The things Naruto handled without bucking, I could never do that. But I've changed and know I can be their equal again."

Ino reached out to gently tuck a strand of Sakura's hair behind her ear. "You're afraid they'll leave you behind, aren't you?"

"A bit? A bit, yes. Already, they seem so obsessed with each other. I know Naruto is keeping secrets from me. Naruto was always apt at keeping things from people. Worst of all, Naruto keeps secrets about him from himself. It's like he's running in a circle he considers a straight line. In reality, it's a jagged, zigzagged road riddled with obstacles and he tackles them all on his own because he believes he can't trouble anyone with them."

Ino's eyes swam with grief. "That is sad. I admit, I don't know Naruto that well, but from what I've seen and what you say of him, he sounds like a, well…"

Sakura lifted her head. "A precious person."

"A precious person," echoed Ino. "Your precious person?"

"Everyone's. One day he will become the Hokage, the best there is."

"Do you believe it?"

Sakura's vision swam – and the heart sang. "I know it."

Ino didn't say anything and for a while they enjoyed the soothing silence in the incoming night, before, moments later, Ino asked just one innocent question. "Are you developing feelings for Naruto?"

Sakura simply blinked, just that, the precocious thought rousing certain thoughts to their wake and bringing a gleam to her eyes. "I… Don't know. I've never thought of him that way. Not until now – now, as in, after you brought it up."

"Do you think…? I mean, the fool loves you."

"The fool's always loved me, even when I didn't deserve it."

"Do you deserve it now?"

Dryly, Sakura smiled. "I don't think I ever did. After all, what did I ever do to deserve his unconditional love? Did I ever make him smile, make him feel alive, make him feel anything good and strong enough to resonate in his soul? I don't think so. That was always Sasuke."

"Sasuke, huh?" Ino looked outside to see the people swarming by her store. "This really is starting to sound like one of the romance books, one of the better ones but with a twist. In fact, it's full of twist and turns. You might just like our blonde little Naru-chan more than you're aware of, but, of course, there is still Sasuke. Do you still love him?"

"I-"-she stopped, thought, but in her mind there was no coherent opinion formed, nothing in particular to offer her any solace. Clueless once more of her own feelings, Sakura sighed. "He never loved me. There might be the time when he'll be ready to receive love but…"

_But it might just be Naruto's._

Her eyes turned red and glassy.

Ino clasped her hands together and put them on Sakura's knee, grinning at her, gleeful. "Ne! Say, Forehead-girl, try a date?"

"Wh-what? With Sasuke?"

"Oh, good lord, no! Naruto, of course! Or maybe we should set up Naruto on a date with Hinata? After all, Hinata's always loved him, so." Mischievous, she winked. "I think it'd be so sweet."

Sakura gave her a worried, worn out look of someone too old for such antics. "Ino, that's not a good idea. Matchmaking? That can't have ever worked out even in those romance novels."

"Nupe! But it resulted in many comical situations and I laughed quite a lot. But think of it this way, no?" Cutely, she propped herself up on the counter, flushed and smiling, eyes twinkling. "You had never had time to date, right? Always busy with missions, then the world and so much, much and much drama and stuff. There was no time for love even if feelings did grow, but did you ever have the opportunity to act on any at all, pursue anything? No. I'm not saying – oh, hook up with Naruto, go make babies with him-_oh, you should totally see your expression right now_." Without precedence, she roared with laughter and Sakura had to at least appreciate her sense of humor. "I'm saying, Sakura, that maybe it's time to relax and search actively for love. It might find you, sure, but not if you just become a couch potato. So…"

"You're saying – stand up and act."

"Exactly."

All previous bitterness and pain forgotten, meekly, Sakura nodded. "I suppose I could try. But, well, I get to get going now, parents are waiting with dinner."

Swiftly, she jumped off the counter, heading straight for the door.

"We'll meet at the party, right?" bellowed Ino at her just as she was leaving and it took her a moment to recall any party at all, before she gasped, hands going to her mouth, eyes turning wide.

"The party! I forgot about it! Rookie 9, right? Plus Lee-kun and co."

Fervently, Ino nodded. "Yes, yes. Don't forget about it. In two days, starts at 6 pm, at the barbeque place, a gratuitous celebration of, you know, life. Oh. Right. Who's going to invite Sasuke?"

Sakura, having almost forgotten about all, the joy of the party swirling her thoughts together like the skilled fingers of a pianist composing an alluring tone, felt her heart stop mid-beat and right where she stood, she almost toppled over.

A horrified groan followed.

"Oh, god, Sasuke, no-one invited Sasuke. _Oh. God."_

_Naruto, I hope you won't be mad at me? _

* * *

><p>Cocked it to left – then to right, then the chin up, down, observing the reflection mirror, eyes narrowing and lips pursing and then – long fingers further parted it open; the halves of the shirt succumbed wantonly to them, halving to reveal the body youthful, sculpted and simply – perfect.<p>

Perfect.

Safe for _that._

That one thin, clean line, that scar disappearing into his pants line, thinner than a fingernail or one hair, dimmed and fainted. He thought to – touch it, trace it with one finger, but would it equal to worship? Would it be – becoming one with the idea, the thought of what had caused it?

Was it to imply a damnest thing?

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

In the darkness of his recently occupied home, with only enough light in the room to offer the calmness he desired, shirt wide open and the paleness of the scar too luscious to be ignored, he traced it at last, index finger slipping eventually under the waistband of his pants where it had started first – and been healed.

It ought to have healed by now, no scar left behind, but he'd left it there, a memento, a precious moment, a curse he cherished, something akin to a tantalizing repetition of the past.

And a jinx as well.

His eyes bled into red, Sharingan staring right back into him. His hands fell back, hanging loosely by his side.

Ah, a memento indeed. Why keep it? Why leave it there? In minutes it could have healed, but the injury Naruto had given him… He had it. Even on his mind. For even the mind had been touched.

Sasuke kept staring at own reflection, reflection staring back but. But.

_Lacking._

He walked away.

Down the staircase, the hollowness of his steps echoing around, hands not bothering with buttoning the shirt up, into the barely working kitchen and the home that functioned just so-so, teetering towards the living conditions of the homeless and wrecked. It sufficed. Not for now, not in general, but it sufficed. After all, Sasuke knew he had no reason to stay. And no reason to leave. No reason for any action. To be taken. Considered. Nothing.

And then, just then.

The memory.

"_So I only ever fall, you said? Isn't it the other way around, Sasuke? I could never catch you, true, but you could never run away. Four years and not once could you ever run completely. Who's falling now?"_

Still the eyes of Sharingan, as if they were trying to see through this genjutsu, but there was none involved and the touch of those words was undeniable. The effect. As well. The reality… Too damned gloomy and bloodied.

Sasuke left the house.

Down the empty, dark street he walked, the houses adorning it like badly arranged decorations or the flashback in a story written for the wrong occasion, wrong character and at the worst of times. On the rooftops, ninja, ANBU guards stood, watching over him, and the in back of his mind he did not care – and still felt rage.

They could not touch him, but they could make him feel imprisoned and watched.

No reason to leave, none to stay.

_Naruto._

_I could never catch you, true… _

He sped up.

…_but you could never run away._

He reached the gate leading to Konoha and stopped there. Why should he leave? Where should he go?

A hand tried to curl around the handle, push it open, get out, but he looked down at the hand and thought he saw a glimmer of warmth not his own.

_Four years and not once could you ever run completely._

_Four years._

_Four years._

_Not once could you ever run completely._

_Not once could you ever run completely._

_Not once._

Not once.

He doubled over, clutching his stomach-

_-he was there, inside his mind. He'd managed, won, succeeded, at last! He'd broken him, gotten under the puny creature's skin, meandered through his stupid ideology and naïve thinking, gotten what he'd wanted all along and put a stop to his folly, the cur's hold on him. At last. At last. AT LAST. But, was this-what was this he was-he felt warmth and his stomach lurched and he looked, really looked this time to realize-_

_-he'd gone too far. They'd gone too far. And why were they on the ground, doing this foul act, this wretched thing, making… Making this. This. Why were they? His vision swam, his mind swan, his world spun around, his beliefs, his views, his everything and the everything he'd ever known – stolen. Robbed. By Naruto. Naruto who was looking up at him, features scrunched up in pain and he felt himself move, buck up – saw the blue eyes close, saw the pain in them, the confusion and the fear the other emitted and he realized a portion of the fear belonged to him, for with that move Naruto had moved too and – he felt something. Gathering, there, the pit of his stomach, a bundle of strange sensations-_

_-and thought to himself-"I can't stop this, Naruto. I can't stop this."_

Self-hate. Self-deprecation.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, bit down on his tongue until the familiar coppery blood kissed his tongue. Kissed. Did they kiss? Did they… During the act? No. Did lovers kiss? Yes. Were they lovers? Of course not. Did lovers make love? Yes. Did friends make love? No. And enemies? … No. No. No… What.

Was that thing called making-love? That sick, twisted act they'd performed without thought on the cold, unfeeling ground, as unfeeling as the very same act? No, impossible. If all human beings strove to live that, if all obsessed just to experience a blood-curling agony like that – then was this world a place as deserving dominion as Madara had claimed? Should they have, then, let him win? Puppets they'd have become, his obedient, serving slaves but happy forever after, so sweetly ignorant to the world and its mysterious workings.

Or was it not? Did the act work differently? Did it… Was it meant to exude any pleasure at all?

Sasuke forced himself to step closer to the gate, the coldness it radiated in direct opposition to the heat of his thoughts.

_This isn't what people thrive for, this isn't what Naruto spoke of. This is not the world he has on his mind… This is not the kind of world meant to come to life._

The Sharingan-red eyes flooded away, leaving behind the remaining red circle around his hues.

Probably, the guards watching him had sprung to life, assuming defensive positions and expecting a random outburst of maniacal laughter and insanity. Probably, they'd spread around the word of this random, strange behavior of his, ready to jump him at any given opportunity and show him his place.

Sasuke thoughts them all beneath the notion of fear. They were undeserving of him being prepared to take them on, unworthy of the title "opponent", those lowly, pathetic scoundrels, the scavengers of life.

Ha… Haha. Hahaha… His shoulders shook.

Did they really think they COULD take him on? The small group of – he counted – five positioned near him now, still a safe distance away in the event of him launching a long-ranged attack? Those idiots. The children. Almost, just almost, Sasuke wanted to correct them, give them the best show of their lives and teach them good, that one last, only worthy lesson of their lives… After all, no reason to stay. But then-

-he didn't attack.

His shaking ceased. With mastered cool, Sasuke surveyed the gate in front of him. He wasn't going out. Couldn't go out. After all, what would he say to Naruto?

His lips formed a thin line.

Idly, he looked at the guards, meeting their eyes without care and daring them to step down from their secured hideouts. They would not, the cowards. Naruto, if Naruto were here, he would. Jump off, show himself and stand there without fear, without anything.

Naruto was the only person in the world who could face him.

And he'd broken that fool.

_You don't chase me any longer, Naruto, you don't see me any longer, Naruto. Today was the first time you looked me but still you didn't see, still you refuse to watch. Do I disgust you now, do you disgust yourself, you fool? Do you shudder to think of what we did? Do you feel – the same amount of disgust for yourself as I do for me?_

Humorless his smile as he turned on his heel and walked home. Still the same homes, the same surroundings and no change of scenery offering little to no solace.

Ah, the waft of memories, the night and the things he was reminded of, the torrent of emotions.

_-was this as painful as Naruto made it be, that incredibly excruciating? Next thing he knew, he was sympathizing, a hand caressing the blond's cheek but he was unsure as to why, all logic eluding him at the moment. He felt a grasp of – like. It was like, it was him liking this, his body liking everything, but he'd not done it out of like but spite, had wished to prove himself right and Naruto wrong, but he'd fallen deep into this pit, until shivers would traverse his spine like women streets at night and he felt filthy, sullied, and he felt – beyond nasty, like he'd defiled someone's life. It was a carnal urge to gouge out own eyes, not to ever look at Naruto this way, to ever see him this way – and it was a carnal urge to continue this animalistic act and not get to see the light of the day. In the back of his mind, he was thinking of a way out of this life, of ending all after the great finale, because, because-_

_-how could he live with himself, how could Naruto live with himself? How could they forget or stop this? How could he stop himself from continuing? Was anyone holding his hand, pushing him forward, making those, those – thrusts, thrusts! Harder? Why, why, why, why was he doing this to him, why was he hurting him so much? Did Naruto really deserve this pain, did Naruto really, really…? _

_Do you hate me now, Naruto? You called me a friend. Will you call me your enemy now? Do you hate me? Hate me. Hate me and come see me-no. I've seen this, felt this… No…_

He reached that place, the so-called home.

Behind him, the door closed. He stepped into cold, unwelcoming, hostile darkness. It really was cold in there, it really was all that. Despite those claims – Sasuke could feel him. He swore he felt the residual warmth of Naruto, everything of him.

Clinging onto him, memories trapped in time, all trapped in yearning. He hated the night, his newest companion and hated all this… All. This.

His back impacted with the door and he – slid down onto the cold floor below, legs bent in knees, drawn to his chest, hands on the knees, lifeless.

With eyes that used to have steel, marble and metal in them, now as barren as he was hungered, he looked blankly ahead, one question on his mind.

_Do I hate myself for what we did, or do I hate myself for wishing I could have it again?_

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>The characters, story and other elements belong to their rightful owner, Kishimoto Masashi. I gain no profit from writing and publishing this on the Internet.

**Full summary:** See first chapter.

**Rating:** M as mature for sexual themes, violence, blood. Heavy shounen-ai, slash, eventual… We'll see if eventual SasuNaru or corpse-slash-corpse-in-mass-grave-because-they-killed-each-other.

**Warning:** Don't read if easily squeamish or if you're not mature yet to handle mature topics such as sex and… That strange sex they had. I'm saying it now – **no rape**. Just sex. Which makes what they had even worse. There will be swearing, HEAVY shounen-ai and much twisted stuff not suitable for children or those weak of mind. You have been warned.

**A/N:** **Thank-you for the reviews** (; They were fantastic. Always remember to review, because input is really important for me. If you have any questions and such, send me a PM or ask in the review. I will gladly answer all x)) So yeah, DO REVIEW! Now. About this chapter?

Finally, Sasuke and Naruto conversed… Right? Well, blows are a part of their… physical conversations and-yeah. Okay, they still fail quite a lot, but it's progress nonetheless. Another portion of their complex feelings was shown, making it obvious that – very, very soon, things are bound to get horribly tangled up and complex. Already, their feelings for the problem are… intricate, interwoven, yet they refuse to speak of it, refuse to refer to it. Will it ultimately destroy them, will it mean a thing? However will they deal with it?

Actually, I don't know myself so. Let's just see where Naruto and Sasuke take us… Ooooh yeah. Until then… Let's pray for Sakura and for Hinata for getting involved because, I mean… _Is it just me or is Sasuke already getting mad possessive? _Imagine what he'll do in later chapters, huh…

See you in the next chapter x)) READ, REVIEW AND ENJOY!


	5. Chapter 5

Convalescence, Chapter five

_The carnivore_

She straightened up the creases on his clothing, attempted to tame his tousled hair and made a face. "Now, remember, we're meeting at 6, the barbecue place close to Ichiraku's. Be on time." Swiftly, she turned to leave, but not before leaving that ominous message-"Oh, right, I got Sai to invite Sasuke too, so." She gave him a pleading, cute smile and skipped away.

In shock, Naruto's eyes continued to watch Sakura's figure until she disappeared on the horizon and with her out of his sight, he fell down on his knees, cradled his head in his hands and-

"Nooo, not him!"

-had a very melodramatic moment.

The rookie 9 had agreed to meet up for the first time since ever and get together before the missions started; with the renovations on the restaurant done, it was open and people flocked it like mad, eager to relinquish their worries and have a few gulps of alcohol wash away the memories of the war. It was also the first time in what felt like centuries that he'd get to see all their faces without the dirt, the blood, the filth of the soiled ground and the unbearable, heaving knowledge they could be enjoying in agony the last few seconds on their life together.

But then Sakura had to tell him, all cute, too, while he was helping a group of Konoha citizens rebuild one of the many houses, that there was a bonus guest tagging along. For a while, Naruto felt pity for Sai; undoubtedly, she'd kindly asked him – read as: threatened him – to ask Sasuke but why, why would Sasuke have agreed? Or maybe she'd misinterpreted the message?

A shudder went down his spine.

Pointedly, Naruto ignored the looks others were giving him and muttered something under his breath about life not being fair and people having no brains. This unreasonable anger kept him busy for the rest of the day, for he knew, even then as he was hammering nails in, dozens of another Narutos running around to do various chores at once, that the task of handling Sasuke, should that man show, would be shoved down his throat again.

_Who are you kidding, guys? It's not like any of you wants to deal with the teme. Hilarious, really. Why even invite him if we all know no-one's going to like him around anyway? I doubt the bastard's going to have a drink and then a few laughs with everyone. Ugh, just… Seriously. Why?_

Despite those mournful thoughts, he had not the heart to speak of this out loud, rather preferring to bottle all up, the visions of botched evening momentarily discarded. And, besides, maybe, maybe it wouldn't go so badly?

… _Okay, who am __**I**__ kidding now?_

Botched up evening, wrecked plans and all that, come hither, my precious! With a forced, continuously twitching smile, he came home and prepared, washing the day's sweat off and hoping to pick something not typically orange for a change, yet such a thing didn't exist in his dictionary, so when he arrived to the place only ten minutes late, the signature orange jumper was missing but the pants present. A blanket of twilight had been swept over Konoha which was, on the contrary, starting to spring to life, people of varying ages with great smiles flooding the streets and looking for a source of fun and to relax. They missed this so much, this whole charade of pretending things were okay. Maybe it was time to launch into it as well, because the world wasn't out to get him anymore and the wrinkles had smoothed out, the war over and the life ready to restart.

Naruto stopped right in front of the place, watching the bright light penetrate through the make-shift door, listening to the joyous laughter inside and slanderous accusations spread around by some of the patrons – those, he assumed, under the soothing influence of alcohol.

_Heh. _

Not knowing what to expect, but quick to succumb to anticipation, Naruto waltzed inside, the curtains-slash-door pushed and the smell of delicious food, the faint aroma of sake and all that combined attacking his senses. His mouth watered and suddenly he was pushed further inside and it was Kiba's arm around his shoulder and many simultaneously murmured echoes of "hello" and "hey" and "finally" coming from all different sides. They had a nice table in the middle of the room, long and large to fit such a big group, yet as there was no tablecloth of any kind to cover it, the line in the middle got his attention and Naruto knew they'd had to join two tables, after all, to fit everyone. Seated on the ground in non-existent order were the members of rookie 9 and Lee's merry group, each and every face sporting a bright grin and, on a whole? Before Naruto knew it, he was flopping down, squeezing between Neji and Tenten and giving his most radiant smile.

"Naruto, you're late!"

"OH! Naruto-kun, glad to see you're as youthful as ever!"

"We never got to talk much, Naruto, did we?"

"Ooooh, look who came, Naruto's here!"

"So troublesome, Naruto."

"Ha, sneaky bastard thinking he can forget about us. Yo, you better have a damn good reason for being late."

"N-narut-to-k-kun."

"Sh, Hinata, don't overexert yourself."

Naruto choked on his drink and barely contained the laughter. Chouji was not so stealthily eating out the barbecued pork from plate; Kiba, sake in his hand, was, in vain, trying to get Shino talking, who was calmly sipping his tea; Shikamaru was listening – or eavesdropping, too lazy to make own conversation – to Ino's animated chatter as she indulged the ever-shy Hinata and Sakura, whose head wouldn't stop bobbing up and down in fervent nods, in a story about an obnoxious customer at her parents' store; Neji was pretending the world didn't exist and this group of fools wasn't in his vicinity – and that by proxy, he wouldn't get their cooties; Tenten was throwing furtive looks at Lee's direction, occasionally taking the sake from his hands and telling him to keep it under control, while trying to get some small talk out of Naruto; Sai was looking at Lee, squashed between he and Ino, blush smeared across his face with the unskilled hand of an amateur artist, too awkward to speak yet but on his best way to get the alcohol talking for him. Naruto, after all, doubted the guy had ever as much touched alcohol, which meant a few gulps in and he'd be dancing on the table.

Somehow, he couldn't wait to see that moment.

Suddenly, Kiba, maybe having had too much of that special drink, roughly put his hand on the table, making it shake. "Naruto! Why were you late anyway?"

Naruto picked up his chopsticks and pointed them at Kiba. "Che, dog-breath, I was busy. Do you know how hard it is to manage so many things at once? I was in twenty, twenty places at the same time."

"Doesn't count!" scoffed Kiba, still standing up and looking ready to topple over, but Naruto noticed the clarity in his eyes, knowing immediately the guy was pretending to be drunk. For the kicks, he supposed. "You were told not to be late and, there, you are late. Punishment, you deserve punishment. Right?"

Instead of getting a chorus of "yes", several people laughed and he was ushered to sit down by Hinata, whose eyes briefly flickered to Naruto, before at once a blush overtook her features and she returned to her semi-empty plate, only nibbling on the few pieces of meat she had there. Naruto watched her, own thirst and hunger forgotten, warmth swelling in his chest.

_Man, Hinata-chan really is cute… Never noticed that._

She had this air around her, something tranquil and beckoning that made him fearful of ever getting near, as if there lingered the endless possibility of any wrong thought making her shatter into pieces. Yet he'd seen her fight, seen her resolve; the fragile flower, while not an act, was the mask to lure one in and he didn't necessarily consider her the master manipulator. He, at that moment, didn't consider her anything, mind too full with the lulling discovery of her existence. It could have been the air or something in it. He may have been gotten tipsy on the whiff of alcohol spreading from his glass, but he had not the capability to think at all, to see much beyond the currency of her porcelain skin and dark, lush eyelashes that-

-air frizzled, turned chilling and all animated chatter died out; it was the movie that came to an end before the stars could share the last, obligatory kiss, the scene cut off right before the man admitted to loving the woman of his dreams, the sequence interrupted by the unexpected news of a mishap elsewhere to directly affect them even here. One after another, all pairs of eyes turned to land on something or someone and as Hinata did the same, the lavender paleness becoming dark with shock, Naruto, still oblivious to the hairs on his neck that stood up right, followed her line of sight. Oblivious, however, for only so long.

What he saw registered first than the who part essential to any fervent dislike or scandalous exclaim of wrong. Toned figure, exquisite a statue placed in the middle of the room, cut out of pearls and silver with a touch of life, love and laugh. He was mesmerized at first, mind dulled by this and that and the sweet nothings and whatnots of this life, and like a pendulum his thoughts would swing to and fro, but whereas the saying was used to signalize that there existent a bad side to things, in this case, it was all good. All promising, all sweet and thought-nurturing and brainwashing. Until a foreboding sense arrived, for clarity ensued and from this face, one name was derived.

No-one spoke. Struck by him appearing, they choked on own bewilderment.

Naruto leaned back. Eyes were on him again, eyes that followed His line of sight, eyes that saw that Sasuke, in his life, could only ever look at him and no-one else.

A strange grimace of discomfort contorted Naruto's features.

No-one was moving and the whole restaurant had gone deadly quiet. Dimly, he recalled his previous distaste for having invited Sasuke and he remembered he'd called this fiasco. Somehow, he was hit by dim amusement; who would have thought, indeed, that Sasuke in his darkly-clad, foreign glory and immense beauty with spice of life added on top would come? Almost, Naruto scoffed, but he tried to keep a poker face, even if he was placed under tight scrutiny, even if Sasuke was still standing there and no-one had moved the least-

_-seriously, guys? Seriously?_

He considered all his options, weighing them on a figurative scale in his mind; commit to this or that, maybe feign oblivion, look at Hinata-chan again and seek solace in her heart-shaped face and delicate, small nose… Or feel human.

_Damn._

Someone shifted and Naruto, out of the blue, just stood up, expression annoyed and devoid of the joy he'd hoped to revel in before. "Oh, for heaven's sake, _seriously_." With a mighty huff, he croaked out an inaudible order, leaving his place and watching Tenten and Neji scoot closer to occupy it, before just reaching out to grab Sasuke by the hand and drag him to the place at the far end of the table Neji and Tenten had unwittingly freed. Seemingly complaint, the man sat down and Naruto sat opposite of him at the other end.

Expecting to see the mood resume, determined to see the things go alright, he reached for another set of chopsticks on the table but-

-no-one was speaking. Begrudgingly, Naruto leveled the fearful Tenten unfortunately seated by Sasuke a sour look, a tick in his right brow signalizing he'd just had enough of the whole "let's pretend to be dead" game and silent treatment. Another deep and terrible sigh followed and for the second time within a minute, he stood up – almost bolting to the standing position. "Tenten, switch places with me."

She watched him for a bit, her resolve to remain where she sat arising and the ninja pride coming back to her, but she was actually nudged to go, Neji's elbow inconspicuously buried into her side and thus, nervous, flushed an angry shade of shame, she trudged to exchange the seats and Naruto simply jumped over the table and, huffing, appearing infuriated, took his seat next to Sasuke.

Slowly, bit by bit, some of the previous idle chatter resumed, in measured amounts filling the air, but still the present people were treading carefully around Sasuke, treating any topic with utmost caution, as if he were to jump to any impressively stupid conclusion and demand their blood on his blade.

Moments later, Naruto had had roughly enough, and with a wide smile plastered onto his face, he turned to Sasuke. "So. Hi. You came. How nice to see you? Want sake? Want juice? Tea? Poison? Poison? Tea with poison and sugar?"

Someone coughed. Muffled laughter was heard.

Sasuke put one hand on the table, perfectly composed but this close up, Naruto saw the corner of his lips twitch in mild annoyance and the glint in his eyes shift to something else. Curious, he awaited the glorious ice-breaker, and when it came-"Hn, whatever, Naruto. As long as it's not mouth to mouth, I'll have the tea."

Naruto gawked at him.

_Witty comeback, eh?_

Yet as he was about to divulge the man and maybe turn him inside out – because, well, why not? – Ino let out a laugh, Kiba joined her, Shikamaru snickered under his breath and Sai made a snide comment about sizes and such and seconds later, conversational starters were being popped all around like glasses of expensive whine, the place filling with loud voices, laughs and semi-comfort summoned by the fact the traitor had not cut him open for those words.

Naruto heaved out a sigh of relief lost in the background noises. A part of him refused to admit there was any relief at all, but another – couldn't help but embrace the feeling as it rocked through his veins and flooded with the thoughts of good time spend with his friends his troubled and heavy mind. He needed the few hours off as much as they did, for however else would the memories of the wars part with them? Gladly, shoulders slumped, figure relaxed even despite being forced to lean against Sasuke, he sipped from his tea-though only to turn green in the face and almost spit it out.

With difficulty, he swallowed the bitter liquid and made a face, tongue stuck out and dangling between his lips like a strangely attached keychain missing its keychain brethren, and his disgust was noted with glee by Kiba who laughed out loud.

"What, don't like sake, Naruto? Come on, you're a man now," commented the man with delight masked in his voice, before launching into a dramatic pause and looking Naruto up and down. In a sly, drawl of a voice, he added-"Well, something like a man. A parody of a man!"

Naruto cleansed his mouth with a mouthful of tea and put the empty glass down hard enough to make Neji's jump. "I AM a man. A true man! I just-ugh, I never got how Ero-sennin could drink this, it's nasty. And baa-chan, too. What do they see in it?"

"I think it's the burn," commented Tenten, her words confirmed by a firm nod from Lee whose opinion didn't account to much in this regard and Naruto waved him off, prompting a scream of uproar from the bushy-browned male.

"Naruto-kun, Tenten-chan speaks the truth."

Naruto made an exaggerated shrug. "Whatever, man, whatever. Damn, I'm starved."

"Have something of this," piped in Neji in a typically cool, calm and composed voice, pushing a bigger plate of eel and salmon sushi in his direction.

Fickly testy, Naruto poked a few rolls with one chopstick. "Where's ramen?"

From the other side of the table came Sakura's indignant tones. "There's no ramen here. Seriously, Naruto, can't you eat anything else?"

He resisted the urge to pout. "'Course I do, just ramen's the best. It's so awe-_eekugh_." Mid-sentence, he hiccoughed, that sole gulp of alcohol pushing at various ways against the walls in his stomach. The boisterous group of people to hear that roared with laughter, bringing an endearing tint of pink onto Naruto's cheeks; quickly, he hid his face in another glass of tea that he stole from the unsuspecting Neji but as the cup edge neared his lips, a horrified gasp followed by a "NO!" were heard. Naruto was staring at Lee floundering his hands about like a madman and looking as if behind Naruto, a mass-murdering maniac had just swung his sharpened axe back, ready to claim another innocent life.

"Naruto-kun, you mustn't!"

Naruto blinked, pouting at last. "What? Why? What's wrong?"

"That's Neji-kun's cup!"

Neji, hearing this, paused mid-sentence and looked between Naruto and Lee. "Is it? Naruto, you have your own, don't take mine."

"That's not the point!" hollered Lee, close to hysteria and alerting one too many people to his green-clad, eye-blinding persona. "Naruto-kun, if you drink from the cup, you'll kiss Neji-kun."

Neji's hand had almost reached out to re-claim the cup adopted without his consent but then froze instead, eyes in unabridged bewilderment staring Lee down.

Naruto had to share this sentiment. Expression deadpan, he stared at Lee. "What?"

"Serious! It'll be an indirect kiss," said Lee, sitting down – pushed to sit down but the sheepish, awkwardly laughing Tenten who was holding him down by his belt and refusing to let go until he was nestled on the ground comfortably –, nodding sagely. "Naruto-kun, you wouldn't want to do that, would you?" Eyes set aflame burrowed themselves into Naruto's skull. "And Neji-kun wouldn't want that either, I'm sure."

Briefly, Naruto eyed Neji to see the horror-stricken face; without doubt, the man was trying to figure out where this startling worry for his chastity had come from and, maybe, hoping as well Lee wasn't thinking of claiming that indirect kiss as his own as homage to their rivalry. Naruto, in disbelief, shook his head.

"Lee, seriously. It's okay."

"It'd be your first kiss," protested Lee.

"It wouldn't."

"Oh, Naruto-kun has kissed someone already! It wasn't-"-eyes growing impossibly wide, he planted both hands onto the table, wriggling out of Tenten reach to prop himself up on both hands and, there, in the corners of said eyes now unnaturally big and creepy, tears glistened. "You wouldn't have, Naruto-kun, by any chance, shared a kiss with-darling, precious, innocent Sakura-san?"

At the mention of her name, Sakura's head snapped up, looking at the lot with curiosity and trying to find out why her name would have been brought up, when Ino, ever so attentive to everything going on and nothing escaping her attention, whispered it into her ear and Sakura's face turned beetroot red.

"Naruto, what the hell are you telling Lee about kissing me? You've never kissed me," she hissed, already one larger vein threateningly throbbing on her forehead and the amused looking Ino shaking a finger at Naruto.

Appalled, Naruto shook his head side to side, the sudden motion causing his thoughts to clatter against the walls of his mind and rattle loud. "No, no, no! Sakura-chan, Lee was just-"

"Sakura-san, I shall protect your chaste lips."

"Ugh. Lee, please, calm down, Naruto's never kissed me. Such a thing never happened."

"Oh, oh, I see, Sakura-san, I see. I believe you. Then who did Naruto-kun kiss?"

And then, Sakura had nothing to say.

Expecting the truth, Lee turned to Naruto again and Naruto was just staring at him, quietly resentful.

"Naruto-kun, who-"

"Don't ask."

"Who-"

"Don't-"

"-was it?"

"Lee, honestly."

"But who was it-"

"Lee, drop it, man."

"Naruto-kun, this is serious!"

"It's not, please. Leave it be."

"Naruto-kun!"

"_Me._"

A chilling sensation attacked Naruto. Dense all of the sudden, not comprehending that reply and with notable hesitation, Lee's eyes – and not just Lee's, for the human ear would pick up on the most interesting of vibrations interrupting the airflow with necessity becoming just a matter of convenience – landed on the human whose presence had been forgotten.

Sasuke's fingers held captive his own cup of tea. All about his outward demeanor spoke about nothing, like the volume turned completely down and the images insufficient in getting the message across.

"Naruto kissed _me_."

It also screamed arrogance and possession and there was a hint of something akin to _that_ in his tone- but Naruto had to be misinterpreting it, for why would the baritone undertones ever hint at that? Why would the voice reek of a claim and the right to continue it, why would-

-not waiting for anyone to act on any urge to scream and run for their lives, too dignified, respectful a man for such puerile antics and display of weakness, Sasuke pushed his cup into Naruto's direction and absently, Naruto saw it filled to the brims. The liquid lukewarm and bearing a greenish tint captivated his attention, the most interesting of things he'd glanced in hours, and without thinking – not understanding why he ought to waste time with thoughts – he grabbed it and tried to drink it.

Tried.

Lee's voice sounded even more terrified and shriller than ever before; they may have been in a C-class horror movie, with the dramatic beats drumming in the background and the murderer's theme music alerting the audience to the his precocious appearance. With the heroine realizing belatedly sleeping with the man had sealed her fate and the hero trying in vain to get to her in time. With no salvation awaiting them and the bright future rendered unspeakably dark and morose. "Naruto-kun, if you drink of that cup, you will share an indirect kiss with Sasuke-kun."

Unfortunately, Naruto had no appreciation for such antics. "Eh? Well."

"Indirect kiss!"

"I know, Lee, but."

"Naruto-kun!"

Then the cup was pushed up and to his lips, bottom up and the liquid swirled down his tongue and throat, swallowed by instinct and gone.

Naruto coughed and wheezed, whipping the leftover tea trickling from the corners of his mouth into his sleeve and glaring at that idiot to have just forced him to drink it. "What the hell was that about?"

Sasuke didn't reply, snatching the cup back.

Lee was reaching frightening conclusions, his excitement levels rising – and the danger in the air born into this world along with the careless words. "Ooooh, I see… You've already shared a kiss, so another won't hurt, right? Sasuke-kun, that was very elaborate of you. See, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun took action."

"Ugh… Right."

Tenten tried to save the situation; again she pushed Lee back into his seat and removed anything alcoholic from his vicinity, before giving Sasuke – then switching to Naruto – an apologetic smile. "Honestly, sorry about him, he gets like this whenever he's had a few drinks."

"Oh, Tenten, no, no, I believe I've stumbled upon a very interesting discovery," protested Lee, thrusting one hand into her shoulder and shoving her away.

Shikamaru, who'd been listening to their conversation all along, properly sat up to address this particular curious discovery with the look of a savage justice criminal. "Lee, that's nothing new that Sasuke and Naruto shared a kiss. It was by an accident over four years ago the day Iruka-sensei assigned us into teams."

"Accident, yes," nodded Lee, but no-one was too hopeful. "But this indirect, second kiss was no accident. Surely, you must have seen it."

"I think," answered Shikamaru, voice serious, grim – Naruto was starting to ponder why, yet he was starting to warm up to the reason and all was beginning to dawn on him. "Sasuke was just tired of your questions. It's just a cup, honestly."

"Oh, tired of my questions. Oh, no, no, I wouldn't dare-well, Sasuke-kun-"-back to Sasuke, looking with glassy eyes-"-I apologize if I offended you. Not my intentions, of course." His words were beginning to slur – and his implications get out of the hand.

Naruto threw Tenten a pleading look. "Just how much did he have?"

"He's lightweight," she explained quickly, nervous. Nervous, why? In fact, she exhibited the same signs as Shikamaru did, as Neji did as, as – the rest one by one falling victim to something Naruto had yet to become aware of.

"Okay, well. Uh, Lee, come on, eat something."

Hearing those words, Kiba took it as his cue to stuff Lee's mouth with something, but Lee chewed it the speed of light and the grace of a pig, spitting and eating with mouth open, grossing out several of the ladies and making Tenten mutter something under her breath before, vigor regained, he rebounded. "Delicious, Kiba-kun, thank you. Won-der-ful, yes. But, Naruto-kun, as I was saying, your second kiss-that is almost sweet, have you considered the implications of that?"

An unpleasant weight settled in the pit of Naruto's stomach. He didn't want to ask – did not, in fact, ask Lee what he'd meant by that, for it was starting to register in his mind; it was a most curious case of perception and reality distortion, as despite his proximity, he would be last to fall to Sasuke's tempest and only then did he realize that for reasons quaint and small Sasuke's jaw had set tightly, eyes narrowed and demeanor – taken on the role of the mass-murderer, all suggesting he was as furious as he was outwardly peaceful and that the C-class horror movie was coming to life. But why? Why that measured anger, the calculation in his eyes? Why?

Lee, blinkered by his unfortunate situation, clobbered on. "Second kiss is, oh, special, yes. First was accidental, but the second-one-sided. Oh, was the first one-sided, too? Not mutual. So bad, Naruto-kun. You ought to fix this, because the next thing you know, everything you do will be one-sided. Bad. Your heart should be in it. All of it, yes, yes. Now, yes, you must pay close attention, Naruto-kun, Gai-sensei taught me a lot about these things. When it's forced, it's called, what is it called-"

-Naruto's eyes widened, face paling, horror growing.

He understood. That conclusion which Sasuke had reached minutes prior to this moment, that thing which Sasuke had deducted it would all come down to, that simple and pure – horrifying moment of truth when Lee, unwittingly, addressed that elephant in the china room. Not an elephant, however, not a china room, but their jointed minds creaking like floors and doors thrown off their hinges and clumsily placed back, like the huge tremulous tsunami wave rising from the water, visible even from a great distance is it neared the nearest coastal city, bringing demise.

"-not consensual, not consensual, what is it-ra-no, was it, well, the first wasn't, was it? The kiss. And the second was forced on you. Naruto-kun, you became a victim of Sasuke-kun, yes, you were, your lips were, what's the word, rap-"

_You clueless idiot, Lee._

"SASUKE, NO!"

Alert.

In one second, many things happened; Lee was tugged back, mouth clamped shut by Tenten and Kiba, hands squeezed and glued to his sides to prevent him from fighting them off; the festival mood had come to halt, all stopping in sync and at once; Sasuke's eyes had turned blood red, wide and condemning, radiating the things no-one present could grasp, and Naruto had without thought pushed him down; on back Sasuke lay, Naruto partially on top of him, fingers dug deeply into his shoulders and holding him down. His own breathing was labored not from the effort but emotion and Sasuke's chest heaved up and down, strained. He waited for the moment when the color red receded from the eyes and the calamity deterred, when the banded irises sought his and when all things combined led to feelings of nausea in the pit of Naruto's stomach.

The silence that followed was unbearable. He pushed himself off, the idea of thinking vomit-inducing-

-Sasuke sat up and left.

Tried to.

Naruto blocked his path. "Where are you going?"

Sasuke wouldn't look at him. "Away."

"Why?"

"_Naruto_, you always ask such stupid questions."

Naruto swallowed his pride. No. That wasn't pride. That was something else. Sasuke wouldn't look at him. _Look at me._

"Let it go."

"No."

"Sasuke."

He looked at him, mad but at last. _"No."_ Closer he stepped and the entire room watched them. "I will not sit here and listen to that."

That being the indirect, unwanted, unwitting reference to… Bitterly, Naruto laughed and still blocked his path; at that moment, he couldn't even remember standing up and making it to the exit before Sasuke. "It doesn't matter. Look, Lee-"

"Doesn't know? Lee doesn't know, hm?" Closer, Sasuke's face got, his eyes narrowed, the ghostly warmth of his breath on Naruto's face lethal in its concision. "Do _you _know, Naruto?"

"Yes." Though gritted teeth, with effort, strenuous, but trying.

In elevated voice, Sasuke would possess all. "Maybe they should know, too, in such a case. Or would you be ashamed, Naruto?"

But failing.

As if slapped, Naruto stepped away. "Get out."

Sasuke didn't move.

It wasn't rage. It was that shame. "Sasuke. Get the hell out."

Sasuke'd not hesitated, just waited to see the crumbling start. About to leave, he went to push past but shoulders collided and-

-a jolt of pain went up Naruto's spine and before he knew it-

-he'd let out something like a sob.

Sasuke's entire frame froze.

There were no tears involved. That had been a slip, an audible manifestation of his despair and Naruto moved back to the table, intending to reboot and forget this had ever happened – maybe find the burn in the alcohol – but Sasuke wasn't letting him go, holding back him and intent upon having this discussion here. Here, in public, with everyone watching them like the newest episode of everyone's favorite reality show detailing the lives of the worst, most dysfunctional couples of the world.

Naruto's blood boiled.

_Are you shitting me?_ He was twisted around, turned on his heels and made to face Sasuke again. _Are you honestly, honestly shitting me? You've got to be, Sasuke. You can't be serious about this._

Sasuke may have felt sorry – if he only understood the idea of feeling enough to come in terms with his own feelings, but Naruto snarled, a vicious and caged animal struggling against the hold of own emotions. The distance between them was the distance separating him from the mind-lurching moment of lashing out and becoming a demon without disguise, because there was only as much as he could handle without having to part with a portion of him while giving release to that accumulated bullshit.

"I refuse, Naruto," Sasuke was saying, his words coming as if from greater distance, faint in comparison to the drumming in Naruto's mind.

"Go to hell with your refusal. You refuse, you refuse, blah blah blah. Go to hell."

Sasuke was scoffing, getting just as mad-"This angry little fit does not suit you."

"What would you know about what suits me or not? It's not like you came to visit."

"Steering this in the direction of my betrayal, Naruto? Have you grown tired of feasting on your own lies, gotten tired of believing I can be redeemed?"

"This isn't about what I believe in, stop changing the topic."

"What IS the topic? You with your little fit-"

"Suddenly, you want to hear my opinion-"

"I do."

"-and believe I have one. How convenient, Sasuke."

"Narut-"

"I remember you saying, what was it?"

"Just don't hurt your little brain trying to think."

"Yeah, you would know about hurting people, wouldn't you?"

Low blow.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed even further, resembling slits behind which – rifts leading to wholesome, bountiful rose gardens and he was the executioner, each sweet pink rose cut off, all thorns left to strive.

"It is convenient, Naruto, to blame just one person."

Naruto laughed, lost. "If you used your heart, Sasuke, your actual heart for a moment, ignore its dark color, ignore it bleeds black, ignore it is small and shriveled up from neglect, festering and oozing spike-shaped little tears, you would understand I am blaming both."

Sasuke didn't understand.

Naruto stepped forward and had his hand fist Sasuke's clothes, pulling him close until they were nose to nose, not one inch between, no void, just the emotions waging war against life, just the immense need to get something across – and god if he knew what that was, why he'd launched into this heat and why he found that precise heat the most riveting event of the past dull four years of his life.

Why he had a strange urge. Strange. Not welcome. Bad. Bad, go away, go before-

_-I want to kiss him? _

Despair. It spread around.

No point in whispering, all were listening. No point in pretending, no point in indulging any part of him, because it didn't exist and as quickly as it'd made itself known, it disappeared. "Sasuke… What do you refuse to do? Be around people you don't care about? Fine, then go. Or be around me because-because what, really? I am only that stupid, stupid, worthless piece of shit that wasted four years on you, so go on again, and get the hell out of my sight, but you will not mistreat my friends, you will not blame them for not knowing because you do that and I blame you for not knowing, too. And you will NOT dishonor those four years. If you refuse to be here, then refuse as a human being and walk out without hate. For once, Sasuke, walk out without that stupid spite that you feel. Just walk out like you know that whatever happens, a new tomorrow can erase that and you won't have to walk out again."

-he tried to move.

Despair. "_Just once, Sasuke."_

_You don't know me._

_I do._

_You don't._

_I do._

_Don't lie._

_I can't._

A great moment of silence arrived. By all means, those present indulged their minds, firmly convinced this male was to massacre them next, for however else was he to react, this vile son of the Uchiha with zest for hate? Naruto knew they expected a grand spectacle, a violent finale and he saw some inching to the exit, tiptoeing there. He also saw that Sasuke's eyes were heavy with pride and sad hate, but also – also something strange and else that he could, in fact, place, for he'd seen this face on him before. Before, when-when Sasuke during that act, while inflicting pain, drowning in despair and being as vulnerable as the day of his birth –stroked Naruto's face.

Violently, Sasuke freed himself from Naruto and then – simply walked past him to take his seat at the table again, the spot between Neji and he left unoccupied and Naruto afforded to stand there for but one brief moment, before waltzing to his place as well, sitting down and downing in a glass of sake.

No-one was speaking and he pondered if they were scared out of their minds, shaking in their seats and considering an early departure – or if they trusted him enough to know he'd done his best and stopped the apocalypse. Whichever the answer, awkward, Kiba shifted in his seat, cleared out his throat, a disturbed expression on his face.

"Ah… Do you guys, um, want a room? I mean." He coughed harder this time, eyes shifty and a twitch on his lips that sowed greater discomfort, but Naruto couldn't blame him, if he had to will himself to stop the creation of that idea. "I think we all need a refill, right guys?" Not waiting for an answer, he motioned for the nearby waiter. "Please, a refill! Sake for everyone!"

The waiter, flabbergasted, jumped to life, as pale as his white uniform, before quickly scrambling to his feet and coming with smaller, white bottles of sake on a wooden food tray that he redistributed all around, hand quaking visibly only when he placed one in front of Sasuke. Kiba took his own, stood up and thrust his hand into the air.

"On us! Let's drink on us! I'm glad, guys, that we still get to meet after the war. I know many fell and I consider myself lucky that out of us, not one had to become a casualty of the war. Let's honor what we have, honor our lives, our future and those that did fall." It was a short speech but everyone – every soul in the place – lifted a small sake bottle, whispered a phrase uniquely their own and took a gulp from the liquid.

A shiver went down Naruto's spine as again the burning stuff cascaded down his throat.

This time, the party resumed without any further wait and more mindless chatter and laughter filled the air, but this time no-one dared speak to Sasuke, no-one dared even look at him and he felt pitying look on his figure, thought he felt everyone's dismay and regret for that and, idly, Naruto's fingers curled around the chopsticks, mind elsewhere.

* * *

><p>Miraculous discovery; Kiba did end up getting drunk, way more drunk than Lee had ever been during those fights when an impromptu late afternoon alcohol snack was devoured and his unlucky opponent got pushed onto the receiving end of his drunken fist. No-one paid his antics much heed, safe for sharing many laughs, pushing him around and getting him to do stupid things, share even stupider, terribly exaggerated stories but otherwise, even with one person happily drunk, the evening was progressing marvelously. Rather, it was splendorous, a fantastic evening with his friends and even many hours in, when it was nearing midnight, no-one had excused themselves, saying it was too late and duties starting early morning would not relent.<p>

In the meantime, the patrons had switched out, some leaving earlier to crash into their beds after an eventful night and the owner of the place, seeing their merry group had yet to meet the desired level of satisfaction, proclaimed he would close with their departure, so for as long as they ordered, ate his food, drank his sake, he would serve them. That way, when time did graciously near midnight, the restaurant seemed to become all-inclusive for them, housing mostly their little yet loud company. Other potential customers thought to enjoy a moment inside, but seeing their camaraderie made them smile fondly and turn on their heels at once, thinking, maybe, that those children that protected their future – deserved that one night off.

Naruto watched with eyes bright and swirling with warmth as another man, a new appointed jounin, walked inside the restaurant, saw who was occupying it, made an amused face and was gone. Almost, he giggled, giddy and flushed in the face, yet far from even tipsy with how he'd ignored all similar drinks and preferably indulged himself in much food and frivolous talk. Idly, Naruto looked around to note that they'd dispersed all around, no longer confided to one table but sharing such tremendous, dramatic stories they needed to walk back and fro the entire length of the place and that some had opted for a nap in the far corner of the room. Surprisingly, it was Hinata with Shino occasionally stopping her worn out body from hitting the floor, calmly eating his barbecued pork and pushing Hinata's body up whenever it slanted towards the ground, and Shikamaru, for a change, was alive in own sense, making everything happy-go-lucky and a tidbit sanguine with the portion of charisma Naruto never knew he could possess. Naruto realized he was itching to ask him for tips how to make girls roar with laughter the way he was making Tenten and Ino clutch their stomachs and even screech, tears gathered in the corner of their eyes, but stopped himself before making the move.

_Who knew, Shikamaru, who knew you had in it in you?_ Naruto thought, a sly grin on his face.

Feeling like he had to stretch his legs for a bit, he made his way to a standing position, the legs only somewhat buckling under his weight, not used to such exertion after hours of stuck in the same position and Naruto stretched his arms above his head, yawning and making various faces, the joy of this evening having fully replaced his blood.

Then, of course, it occurred to him to look for Him and his eyes landed on every figure in turn, before seeing that one lone person seated against the wall in a position screaming "don't approach me", eyes closed either to stop the images of people acting stupid from contaminating his lone ranger posture or, maybe, a victim to fatigue, too.

Frowning, Naruto looked around again, but as he saw no-one had noticed, slowly he made his way towards Sasuke and flopped down right next to him with a loud grunt. Sasuke had wound up to be a silent companion throughout the night, barely reacting to any conversational or emotional stimuli and only indulging himself in silence. Naruto looked at him, curious if Sasuke had stayed because of some unknown, gripping emotion to see what he'd missed out on, or for… For who?

His frown deepened and he poked Sasuke in the shoulder. "Wake up."

Sasuke opened his eyes, hues shifting to land upon his figure with an inquiry of "what do you want?" and Naruto drew his legs to his chest and huffed, not knowing what he really wanted but knowing he refused to leave.

"You're not talking to anyone."

Silence again.

"Oh, come on, give me at least a 'hn' or something."

Nothing.

Naruto glared at him and again he poked Sasuke, this time in the side, hoping to finally elicit something out of him, but as Sasuke would not react to any stimuli, Naruto bristled and pinched his cheek. Hard.

That got his reaction.

Surprised still in that subtle way, Sasuke flashed him a dangerous look and Naruto beamed at him. "Oops?"

The man's chest rose heavily up, then descended down, the breath leaving him in ragged intervals, prompting a curious look from Naruto; obviously, he was maintaining his reputation as someone highly elusive, secluding himself willingly from the rest and enveloping himself in an air of unapproachable mystery that he'd seen no-one but Sasuke operate in a manner that still made him an attractive companion. Attractive in that sense you'd want to speak to him all the while, of course. Of course…

Naruto gulped and let out a heavy sigh. "Are you even enjoying yourself?"

"No."

Finally an answer, although-Naruto winced. "You could try."

"Why bother?"

Marvelous. Two words encompassing a myriad of things. Naruto couldn't find it in him to blame Sasuke for not trying, just as he could not blame anyone else for the attempt; he'd seen before Ino sending Sasuke furtive looks and even Sai eying him all greedily, like he wanted to, genuinely wanted to speak and find out more, and he thought Shikamaru, too, had felt the touch of that contemplation, but no-one had acted on any such suicidal tendency, speaking to the others instead, the idea of liking Sasuke put out.

Naruto knew there was anger on his face, anger, strangely enough, directed at his peers for the cold shoulder and ever-so-silent way of expressing their distress, but again, with the many things involved, no-one could suffer from being blamed and Naruto licked his lower lip. "Fine, talk to me then."

Sasuke's eyes had yet to leave him. In them, he saw the question "is that a good idea?" and Naruto's heart lapped eagerly at the opportunity to say "no" and get him to leave the man's presence, but they had things to talk about. Too many, in fact, to leave them to rot or hope the touch of time wouldn't overlook them.

Maybe, it was that fact that him feeling so naked under unwavering Sasuke's stare. Placating any need for escape, Naruto looked back with equal doubt and strength. "We have things to talk about. Anything. We could talk about, hm-sparring, oh, yeah! Or what we're going to do and such, or how you're doing, or about. About."

Sasuke's lips parted. Before the words were formed, Naruto knew what he was going to say.

"Or we could talk about something very specific."

_About that._

Dark amusement flickered in Naruto's eyes. Mister verbose and eloquent himself failed to properly address it. Figures. "Nah, not about… _that_."

Sasuke shifted, one leg outstretched in front of him and the right hand pressed against the ground, weight shifted to the wrist and the five fingers evenly spread out and hugging the flooring.

"This peace won't last forever." As simple as that, this foreboding, honest message.

Naruto fretted. "You're weird, Sasuke, you're absolutely the weirdest person I've ever met in my life and, man, I've met some strange folks."

In the middle of the room, Lee jumped on a table and starting reciting an obscure poem he'd just composed, an ode to youth, power and strength, before falling down, curling into a ball and crying about how he was happy they were all together like this; Kiba cried along with him and they hugged each other, Ino and Sakura laughing at the display of emotion but choking back a few sobs of their own. Neji muttered something about idiots and Hinata gasped for this time, Shino, being too immersed in a conversation with Chouji, did not manage to catch her; she fell forward, hit the ground and, a nice, large, red bruise on her forehead, she looked around with the eyes of a startled deer caught in highlights. Tenten jumped over to her, pulled her close and offered her a drink and Hinata blushed ferociously and took one sip, before asking her if anyone had seen her fail, to which Tenten replied with a joyful "duh!" and proceeded to laugh as Hinata neared fainting.

Naruto watched it with a strange weight on his heart. He felt wrong to be in their presence, distanced from the whole display of friendliness he'd once dreamed of stealing for himself and now, next to Sasuke, in their little dark and isolated world, he couldn't help but feel – he didn't deserve them.

"This peace won't last forever," repeated Sasuke, leaning forward and as he did so, his shirt with the low cleavage – maybe a trick to ensnare to ladies and capture their fickle attention – crumbled forward, the creases created offering gratuitously a peek of his chest and the thin line, that scar.

Eyes wide, air caught in his throat, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shirt and opened it like a book, getting a bewildered stare from the man and a warning from his own mind, because this-

"Why? Why didn't it heal?" Panicky eyes sought Sasuke's.

Sasuke – looked him in the eye, tranquil, a self-proclaimed martyr with the voice of reason and lulling intent. "Some scars are not meant to heal."

As if burned, Naruto recoiled but he could not stop the touch, could not stop a hand from pressing against the scar and feeling the thin, frail and protruding skin under, the heat that mingled well with his own and the reawakening, unconscious caress of regret under his own skin. Sasuke continued to watch him, too many thoughts etched into his eyes to be put apart, properly categorized; that wouldn't be doing him justice and his feeling capability, Naruto now saw, was far greater than his heart, overcoming him with ease and becoming the driving engine behind ever step. Maybe, the man didn't know it himself how susceptible to feeling he was or how vulnerable at this current state and Naruto's hand shifted to right, feeling the curve of Sasuke's chest – and the pitter-patter of his heart caught in the ribcage, set aflame by the desire to be free.

"Why don't you talk, Sasuke?"

"We're talking right now."

"Why don't you talk about what you want and feel?"

He didn't reply. Naruto feared he'd say – he'd done that weeks ago, though only to have a different opinion forced down his throat, though only to have a heinous backslash forced down his mind. At the mention of heinous – bile rose in the back of Naruto's throat and this time he pulled away entirely, sitting back, pressed against the wall and nervous.

Sasuke didn't bother hiding the scar.

Naruto heaved out a sigh. "You really are weird, Sasuke." Soon afterwards, he felt the striking eyes on him and he fought the urge to look back – before, a split second later, caving in, no struggle ever taking place.

The reason and intent morphed. A trembling passion in the form of Sasuke's mellifluous voice flooded the air around them. "What happened…"

Naruto stopped – his heart, mind, thoughts, emotions stopped, trapped in a continuum, in the memory of the past-

"_I won't have you forget about it, Naruto_."

He refused to let his eyes widen, to show the fear, because Sasuke was a predator, he was – a carnivore. He devoured the flesh succulent, sullied anything supple and at that moment – he looked savory himself, that one last meal Naruto wanted to enjoy to its fullest, but he did not, frozen in that position too close to him, too close – and suddenly, at that very moment, there was no distance, no detachment.

Against his wishes, he had found his attachment and token of affection, his own memento.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, burning so hot the sun was put to shame and leaving all Naruto's thoughts singed, turned into ash and – yet, held in one place, no liberation offered to them.

"What we did, Naruto…" He reached out, caressing the tanned cheek that tried to disappear and pale under his touch, instead growing hotter and softer on contact, succumbing to the hand that languidly, a mockery of sensuous and yearning, traced the three whisker marks. A tide of fearful "no"s and "god"s swept Naruto's mind off the cliff and he was freefalling and the ground – further and further away.

The carnivore marked the spot where he'd begin the feast, fingers dug in Naruto's hair and head pulled closer so they were nose to nose, skin to skin, heart to heart – truth to truth.

"I will never let you forget about it. The way you are now, Naruto, I want to destroy you." The Carnivore had spoken. He made a deal. He would not relinquish his hold. In his words – such heavy the truth, hard, harder than any blow and hit or touch. In his eyes – too much to tell. One thought mixed with the other, one infected another, another touched the first, one annihilated the third, fifth and hundredth, and the second – spread its wings around, the wings made of wires covered in guts. "You can hate me or you can love me. But I will not let you ignore me. I will not let you forget me. As you are now, you are torn, maybe, and you can choose to hate, you can choose to love. Hate me, Naruto, for all it's worth, milk that feeling for everything it can give you and, eventually, become one with it. But never, never dare dream of forgetting me. What we did… What we did to each other, soiled each other's mind, what we both let happen…" He gritted his teeth. "I will first cut and kill, separate flesh from bone and bask in the glory of one kill, than let you ever have that memory disappear. _I will not be forgotten_."

He backed away.

"If nothing else, then just that one thing belongs to me and no-one else."

As if in trance, Naruto watched Sasuke get up and walk away.

Eyes that were hypnotized landed on a blank spot ahead, all outside world disappearing.

_Love and hate, is that all I have to choose from? Do I either accept and love, or do I hate? Could I ever hate you, Sasuke? Could I ever feel hate? Even for what we did on that floor, that one night?_

The curse was set in place.

From that moment on, he could never forget.

* * *

><p>Ino's hurried, breathy voice disturbed him from his reverie and with the early morning sun peeking from the horizon sprinkling the air with warmth, Naruto stopped to look her.<p>

She ran towards him, flushed and panting, giddy-looking and smiling too much. "Naruto, I have one favor to ask of you."

He blinked but listened and, moments later, his shocked voice echoed around the vacant street.

"Ehh, a date with Hinata-chan?"

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>The characters, story and other elements belong to their rightful owner, Kishimoto Masashi. I gain no profit from writing and publishing this on the Internet.

**Full summary:** See first chapter.

**Rating:** M as mature for sexual themes, violence, blood. Heavy shounen-ai, slash, eventual… We'll see if eventual SasuNaru or corpse-slash-corpse-in-mass-grave-because-they-killed-each-other.

**Warning:** Don't read if easily squeamish or if you're not mature yet to handle mature topics such as sex and… That strange sex they had. I'm saying it now – **no rape**. Just sex. Which makes what they had even worse. There will be swearing, HEAVY shounen-ai and much twisted stuff not suitable for children or those weak of mind. You have been warned.

**A/N:** ._. I am tired. Thank-you for all the reviews for the previous chapter :3 I tried to reply to all… Hopefully, you enjoyed this one, too D: If so, drop me a review ;) I love those, always will. And now. Rest my eyes. Dx


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